


Under the Red Moon

by SailorSilverLadybug



Category: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Final battle revised, Romance, SSMB, Silver Millennium Hints
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-16
Updated: 2020-11-16
Packaged: 2021-03-10 08:07:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 30,678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27589996
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SailorSilverLadybug/pseuds/SailorSilverLadybug
Summary: Sometimes, when a red moon appears in the sky, the mists of magical influence are affected and the bonds of soulmates draw them together. With Mamoru taken in battle, and Kunzite the only remaining general, Sailor Moon and Sailor Venus are confronted with a choice. Will the power of an approaching red moon help them save their soulmates, or will it all come crashing down? SSMB2020
Relationships: Aino Minako/Kunzite, Chiba Mamoru/Tsukino Usagi, Hino Rei/Jadeite, Kaiou Michiru/Tenoh Haruka, Kino Makoto/Nephrite, Meiou Setsuna/Original Character(s), Mizuno Ami/Zoisite, Tomoe Hotaru/Tsukino Shingo
Comments: 29
Kudos: 25
Collections: Senshi & Shitennou Mini Bang 2020





	1. Chapter One: Rage Red

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or any of the canon characters. I do have my own characters (OC’s) as well as having made adjustments to characters (AC’s). These and the plot changes are my own. I will not receive any monetary compensation for this work.
> 
> Author’s Notes: Originally I thought of calling this story The Blonde Ones, but when I took a really good look at the theme and why I wanted to do this story I found myself intrigued by a simple concept that hadn’t occurred to me. The Red Moon. To put it in the most basic terms possible, a red moon is seen when the earth comes between the moon and the sun in an eclipse and the light sort of bends around Earth’s atmosphere. There are hundreds of myths and legends throughout the cultures of earth about the red moon and what it portends, but I wanted to focus on the effects of such a moon on the Senshi/Shitennou and the Prince/Princess. Might it be a time where their bonds are closest? 
> 
> For more from this artist you can go to:  
> Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thefinalkey16  
> Tumblr - https://www.tumblr.com/blog/thefinalkey16  
> Twitter - https://mobile.twitter.com/TheFinalKey16
> 
> Reader’s Notes: For this story Usagi and the other girls are sixteen, while the guys are all eighteen. It is rated T to best fit into the contest. Also, each chapter title gives a different aspect of red, which is the theme of the story. Sorry I got carried away. I have a hard time leaving the story unfinished and I just kept adding more characters until I had all of the Senshi and their soulmates. Just be glad I didn't bring in all of my created characters or this story would be a mile long. 
> 
> See the bottom of each chapter for notes about the story. It includes a couple of my created/altered characters, as well as back stories for each of the Senshi and Shitennou.
> 
> Acknowledgments: As always, I have to thank my wonderful beta, Astraearose-silvermoon, who is absolutely amazing!  
> Music Selection: Beth Crowley - Red; Gone
> 
> SSminiBang2020:  
> Theme: “Red”  
> Artist: Final Key  
> Author: SailorSilverLadybug  
> Title: Under the Red Moon

****

**Under the Red Moon**  
 _Sailor Senshi Mini Bang 2020_  
 **Chapter One** **  
****Rage Red**

* * *

_***Usagi***_

Usagi wrapped her arm around Minako's waist and leaned her head on the other blonde's shoulder. "I don't know how much more I can take," she admitted. It had been so hard to keep going since Tuxedo Kamen, Mamoru, had been taken.

Minako sniffled. "Me either. It's bad enough remembering him at all, but to have to fight him over and over again..." her voice trailed off. Kunzite was her soulmate and she didn’t know how to save him. 

"I know what you mean," Usagi whispered. "Every time I see him I think this will be the time I save him, but it never is. I swear I wouldn't sleep at all without the star locket." She swiped at the tears on her cheeks. "I miss him. I even miss his constant teasing." She gave a watery laugh. "I swear Haruki and Motoki both wanted to punch him when he took my shake." 

Minako laughed. "That's because you made their ears bleed." She sobered quickly. "I miss the way Kunzite used to pick me up and carry me off when he got jealous," Minako whispered, and both girls giggled. At sixteen neither had been involved in an intimate relationship in this life, but with their memories of their last life growing clearer every day, each was aware of what could be between themselves and their soulmates.

Growing more serious, Usagi whispered, "I'm actually glad the others don't seem to be getting their memories back. I would hate for them to remember after their men have already been killed."

"About that," Minako whispered, "I had a thought."

Usagi grew excited. Minako usually had brilliant ideas, which tended to be tossed aside by Ami's logic, Rei's wisdom, or Makoto's strength. But when the blonde ones got together incredible things could happen if they were left unchecked. "Tell me," she demanded.

"I don't think they're dead," Minako whispered.

"What do you mean?" Usagi asked, confused. "We haven't seen Jadeite for months, Nephrite in weeks, or Zoicite in days. You heard what Zoicite said, about the queen killing those who failed her."

"Rei's been having nightmares for the past three days," Minako explained. "She keeps dreaming she's in this huge glass tube, big enough to stand in. She can't move, or even breathe, but she can't die either. She's just staring through all this dark liquid, but she can see a bunch of other tubes just like the one she's in. And in two of them are Nephrite and Zoicite."

"Wait, you think she's dreaming about seeing the world through Jadeite's eyes?" Usagi asked. "That maybe he and the others are locked in those tube things?"

"It's possible. I wish I could know for sure. I haven't said anything to her, or the others, because let's face it, now that they remember you are their princess they think their only purpose in life is to protect you, regardless of what they need."

"That won't work. If they're miserable they won't be able to do much. I have no idea how we can save them, but they need their soulmates as much as we do."

"Exactly. You and I can remember how things were. We remember how much easier it was when we had a partner who helped us in everything, knew our every thought, and met our every need. We remember what it feels like to be loved."

Usagi sniffled again. "But we still have to find a way to rescue Kunzite and Mamoru," she whispered. “We can’t even find them!” 

The past month had not been easy on either of the girls. After the battle at Tokyo Tower there had been a lull in attacks for three days. And then Dark Endymion, the perversion of everything Mamoru or Tuxedo Kamen could be, had appeared. If only in her mind, Usagi refused to think of him as Endymion either. Dark Endymion made the distinction clearer. He wasn’t her prince any more than he was Mamoru. 

She sighed and leaned against Minako, relaxing in the knowledge that her friend understood what she was going through. She wouldn’t wish it on anyone, and yet she was glad she wasn’t alone. Thinking back to that first battle after he had been captured was awful. 

Dark Endymion had been searching for Sailor Moon. When she’d seen the familiar billowing cape, Sailor Moon had thought he’d come to help her when Kunzite’s hair-dressers had attacked. But his roses had been black as night, not the beautiful crimson she loved. 

Minako wasn’t fairing much better. It was hard enough facing your soulmate in battle. She also felt guilt because of Mamoru’s capture and was determined to protect Usagi. They stayed close together in battles now, Venus attempting to make the path to each Youma clear so Moon could strike the final blow. And Mercury had been told to stay back from battles and watch for the generals. It made each fight a little harder, but it was important to know where they were at all times. 

“I want him back,” Minako murmured. 

“Me too,” Usagi whispered. 

“There has to be something we can do. How much do you remember of your old lessons?” Minako looked like she would break into helpless tears. Usagi was afraid she might do the same. 

“I remember that Soulmates have a particular draw to each other,” Usagi said, biting her lip again. It was really starting to hurt. “I remember some things affect that bond, and that there were things you could do to make it stronger.” She blushed, thinking of some of those things. 

“What things affect the bond?” Minako asked. 

Usagi looked up into the sky at the pale shimmering moon, already visible so late in the afternoon. “The moon,” she said softly, praying that her old companion would send a blessing down on them that might send them the other half of their souls. 

* * *

_***Dark Endymion***_

Kunzite and Endymion were locked in a heated argument. Endymion was constantly getting between Kunzite and Sailor Moon and he'd had enough. A simple sparring match that had begun in the Dark Kingdom had turned into something more. Now they were battling at the top of a skyscraper that neither knew the name or purpose of, instead of preparing for an attack on Tokyo. 

“You’re just jealous,” Kunzite panted, attempting to knock Endymion off his feet with a sweeping hook of his leg even as he bore down with the sword. 

“Ha! Jealous of you?” Endymion scoffed. “What possible reason could I have? You’re nothing but a failure. You make these insane schemes and then wonder why they fall apart.” 

“At least I’m trying,” Kunzite hissed, leaping backwards to avoid a blow to his abdomen. “You just sit there until the very end and then help our enemy!” 

“Only because you cheat,” Endymion announced. “What is the point in winning if you don’t do it honestly?” 

“To win!” Kunzite said, knocking Endymion’s sword out of his hand and attempting to stab him in the shoulder. “If we don’t do what the queen commands, we are severely punished!” 

Endymion scoffed. “What would she do? She has no one else to do her bidding.” 

“There are plenty of others,” Kunzite growled. “Three of whom you know. Jadeite, Zoicite, and Nephrite.” 

Confusion filled Endymion for a moment, allowing Kunzite to get the upper hand and knock him flat on his back. He rolled and did a kick-up to get to his feet, swinging almost immediately as Kunzite approached again. He could remember the three generals, but he didn’t know where he had met them. Still, he could clearly see the laughing faces of the three young men. There was a connection between them, though how it had come to be he couldn’t guess. 

“So if we fail the queen she will have us punished?” 

“Yes. We will be put in the Eternal Slumber, like the others.” 

Kunzite’s anger seemed to be fading and Endymion took full advantage, knocking his sword out of his hand and putting his own blade to the other man’s neck. “Do you yield?” he asked. 

A smile spread over Kunzite’s face and Endymion felt something slice into his arm. He gasped in pain and looked down to see Kunzite putting a dagger away. “That was underhanded,” he growled, rage turning his vision red. 

“Quite. One day you’ll learn. The first rule about a true fight isn’t about fairness. It’s about staying alive. Cheat,” Kunzite said, then disappeared into a portal. 

Endymion closed his eyes and followed the traces of magic. Kunzite thought to hide in the park, like the coward he was. He would have a surprise. Endymion had taught himself much in the past few days. In a blind fury, Endymion opened his own portal and stepped through, launching himself at the other man.

* * *

_***Minako***_

Minako picked at a suiren blossom. Lotus flowers had become a secret language for her and Usagi both. Their meaning, being far from a loved one, was special to both girls, whose loved ones were both very close, and very far away. It was hard to imagine having them back in their lives, but Minako wished for it constantly. It had hurt so much, seeing Kunzite that first time, and every time since, knowing he couldn’t come to her, wouldn’t be there to help her in her mission to keep Usagi and Mamoru alive. 

“How do we find them?” Usagi asked, picking their conversation back up as she ran her fingers over the soft petals of the blossom she held. Her eyes held such sorrow and wisdom that Minako gulped unconsciously as she met them with her own watery ones. 

“I would assume they must be in the Negaverse,” Minako said. “Where else would the queen keep them?” 

Usagi shrugged. “We know next to nothing about the Negaverse,” she whispered, obviously feeling overwhelmed. “And how do we heal them? We have to capture them somehow.” She bit her lip, which was getting raw, and Minako pulled out a tube of Chapstick and handed it over. 

“I don’t know if it will work,” she started, but didn’t finish as her attention was drawn by the sound of metal striking metal. “What-” she was cut off as Kunzite and Endymion moved backwards out of the trees, swords streaking through the air as they fought. 

“Oh Kami!” Usagi breathed, dropping the tube of Chapstick on the grass. “Why are they fighting?” 

Minako had no answers. She didn’t know why they were fighting, but both men moved with dark intent as they swung their swords and blocked each other’s strikes. She’d never seen anything quite like it in this life. Vague memories of watching them train in their last life came close, but both men moved with deadly precision and catlike grace. It was rather incredible, oddly beautiful, and absolutely terrifying. 

Endymion seemed to have the upper hand at the moment as he pressed Kunzite back toward the stream, getting closer and closer to the edge of the water. He struck out with his blade and Minako saw blood well up on Kunzite’s neck as he went tumbling backwards into the water. Unable to help herself, Minako let out a small scream. 

Kunzite turned his head the moment he was standing again, seemingly forgetting about Endymion and his still unsheathed sword, or the small wound on his neck where Endymion had drawn blood. Their eyes locked and the world stopped turning. Minako watched as Kunzite’s eyes widened slightly. His mouth parted and he took a deep breath and a stride forward. 

Beside Minako, Usagi squeaked. Turning automatically to defend her best friend, Minako gaped as she watched Endymion, who had grabbed the small blonde while she was distracted, lower his head and kiss her with a desperation that couldn’t be ignored or explained away. 

Distracted, she was caught off guard when Kunzite snatched her off the ground and turned her face to his with more gentleness than she had ever imagined. There was a light in his eyes she couldn’t decipher and, before she could so much as think of what to do, his mouth was on hers and it felt as though she was floating away. His lips were hard but gentle, soft but firm, hot and dry. He nibbled at her lower lip, his arms tightening around her, and then she felt his tongue pressing into her mouth. Helpless to do anything but respond, Minako slowly slid her hands up his chest and around his neck, kissing him with all the desperation and longing she had locked inside, her vision edged in red as her mind floated in lust. 

When Kunzite lifted his head, he growled, “mine,” and held her even tighter. Reality hit like lightning. This wasn’t _her_ Kunzite. He had been turned evil. She shouldn’t be kissing him, she should be fighting him. Struggling was nearly impossible however, as she could hardly breathe with his arms squeezing her ribs so tightly. It took a moment for her mind to catch up with what had just happened, then she kicked her feet, trying to land a strike on him so he would let her go.

Instead he only chuckled and kissed her forehead. “Nice try, but I don’t play fair.” 

Before she knew what was happening, Minako felt herself being carried. Endymion, who was holding Usagi in a similar pose to her own, turned to Kunzite. “We have to get them out of here,” he said, his voice soft but full of emotion. “Somewhere safe,” he added. 

“Somewhere no one would think to look,” Kunzite murmured, kissing Minako’s cheek. She frowned. What on earth was happening? Why did the two men suddenly feel the need to take them? They’d fought dozens of times and nothing like this had ever happened. 

“What about the queen?” Endymion asked. “If she knew we’d found our soulmates…” his words trailed off. 

“She watches sometimes,” Kunzite added. “There’s only one place I know where she doesn’t watch us.” 

“The Dark Kingdom,” Endymion hissed. “We have to get them out of Tokyo. Fast.” 

“Let’s go then,” Kunzite answered, all thoughts of fighting apparently forgotten.

Minako met Usagi’s eyes, silently asking if they should fight. An infinitesimal shake of Usagi’s head gave her an answer. They were going to let this play out and see what happened. Both girls wore their communicators and at the moment it seemed as though neither man knew they were Sailor Moon and Sailor Venus. This might be their only chance to save their soulmates _and_ the others. 

Kunzite swiped his hand in the air. A swirling portal appeared and the two men carried the girls into it. Minako gasped as she found herself in a sitting room that was also a rather large cavern. There were six doors leading off the rectangular room. Two doors on each of the long sides and one at either end. Two of the doors stood open, one on the side and one at the far end. Inside those rooms Minako could see beds. Was this where the men lived in the dark kingdom? 

Wheels turned quickly in her mind. They were in the dark kingdom, and she and Usagi both knew it was their only chance to save the other girls’ soulmates. They would have to move quickly, and carefully, but hope was welling up inside her. She watched the side of Kunzite’s face speculatively. Perhaps he could help. 

* * *

_***Kunzite***_

Kunzite couldn’t believe his luck. He had been dreaming of this girl for months. Over time the dreams had gotten stronger and stronger. He hadn’t thought himself capable of love, but holding the girl in his arms he knew he would willingly lay down his life for her. Bright azure eyes stared around the room curiously before she looked up into his face, a mixture of hope and fear reflecting back at him. 

“It’s alright,” he said, setting her on her feet. “I won’t hurt you.” 

Endymion brought the other girl close. Kunzite had dreamed of her as well, though not nearly as much as the one he couldn’t stand to release, and not in the same way. His arms were still wrapped around her waist. 

“How do we keep them safe from the Youma?” Endymion asked. He still hadn’t let the other blonde touch the ground. His arms were wrapped so tightly around her it looked as though she was struggling to breathe fully. 

Shaking his head, he rested a hand on his soulmate’s shoulder, unable to stop himself from touching her. She was so perfect. So beautiful. “I’m not sure,” he answered honestly. “But I can’t let her go. She isn’t safe in Tokyo.” 

“What about the Senshi?” Endymion asked. “We could ask for a truce.”

Kunzite snorted. “You maybe. You’ve helped Sailor Moon enough. But for me?” He shook his head. “There is none who would help.” 

“That’s not true,” Endymion argued. “Venus.” 

Frowning, Kunzite stared at Endymion. At times he hated the man, while other times he knew he would do anything for him. Their competition was fierce, but looking at him now, Kunzite saw something he’d never expected. A friend. 

“Why her?” he asked. “She’s the one who attacks me most.” 

“And cries about it,” Endymion responded. 

Startled, Kunzite raised an eyebrow in question. “What?” 

“You miss much,” Endymion murmured. “You obey your queen and attack openly. I watch from the shadows. I’ve seen the Senshi during and after their battles with you. Venus cries when she’s forced to face you, but she doesn’t want the others attacking you. Something about not wanting them to feel guilty.” 

“It’s because she loves you,” said the little blonde in Endymion’s arms. 

“What?” Kunzite couldn’t wrap his head around what she had just said. How would she know? Did she know the Senshi? 

The little blonde didn’t speak again. Instead she was staring at the girl Kunzite held. For a moment he wondered if they were speaking without words. Their eyes spoke volumes, but neither answered his question.

A niggling doubt touched his mind for a moment. Was this some sort of trick? Could it be a cruel joke played by the queen? A test perhaps? 

If it was a test, he would fail. He wasn’t letting his own blonde go. Never again. She was his! As much a part of him as his own eyes. He couldn’t explain how he knew, but he did. 

“It’s too bad we don’t have the others to help us,” he murmured, thinking of Jadeite, Nephrite, and Zoicite. They had long been his friends and he missed them. He wished the queen would hurry and wake them. 


	2. Chapter 2: Love Red

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our young heroines make a decision that will change the course of their battle with Metalia and will change their own lives forever.

**Under the Red Moon**   
_ Sailor Senshi Mini Bang 2020 _   
**Chapter Two** **  
** **Love Red**

* * *

_ ***Luna*** _

Luna paced back and forth over the bed, her tail twitching wildly as she considered what might have happened to her young charge. Usagi could be impulsive at times and wasn’t always entirely responsible, but she was nearly always home before dark. She was one of those rare few girls who understood what a blessing family was, having several friends who had lost part or all of theirs. And she loved food, so missing a meal was nearly unheard of. 

“Where is she?” the cat muttered, looking over her shoulder towards the window, which was open wide, curtains fluttering in the evening breeze. The sun was beginning to lower over the horizon. Luna couldn’t wait any longer. She had to know if Usagi was alright. 

Luna didn’t like using the communicators in the hours right after school. There was just too much chance for someone to see one of the girls pulling it out. Still, with everyone using cell phones and smart watches it might be mistaken for one of those. Nodding her head, Luna did a small backflip and her own communicator landed on the soft bedspread. 

Waiting for Usagi to answer, Luna frowned at the communications device. Hers wasn’t a watch as she'd made for the girls, but looked rather like a calculator. A very pink one, she noted almost constantly. Luna wasn’t quite as fond of pink as her girl was. After what seemed an exorbitant amount of time, Luna gave a frustrated grunt and tried Ami instead. If there was one person who would always answer, it was Ami. 

“Luna?” Ami asked curiously, her bright cobalt eyes hidden behind the glare on her glasses. She quickly removed them and stared at Luna. “What’s going on? Is Usagi alright?” 

“I…” Luna swallowed and stared at Ami. She had hoped Usagi was with her and had some incredibly odd explanation about losing her communicator. “I can’t reach Usagi.” 

“That’s funny,” Ami murmured. “She and Minako left early today.” 

“Oh. I’ll try Minako then,” Luna said, slightly more concerned, though she knew Minako would do anything to protect Usagi. She didn’t wait for a response, simply ended the call and pressed the button with the symbol for Venus. When that went unanswered as well panic rode up her spine, making her hair raise and puff out. 

A few minutes later the screen of her communicator showed three very concerned faces. “Where could they be?” Makoto asked, her face scrunched slightly in worry. 

“I don’t know,” Ami answered, confusion evident in her eyes. 

“I might have an idea,” Rei said slowly, her darker amethyst eyes showing her own concern, though she didn’t voice a word of it. “Minako and Usagi have been spending a bit of time together worrying.” 

“What about?” Luna asked, frustrated that she had no clue about the development. 

Rei sighed. “Mamoru and Kunzite of course.” 

“What?” Luna asked, worry hitting her even more strongly. “Why? That’s highly irresponsible.” 

“That’s not very fair of you Luna,” Rei scolded. “You know exactly where Artemis is. Usagi is worried about how she can rescue Mamoru, and Minako has been her support through it all. Minako wants to rescue Kunzite just as badly, but she also feels guilty about Kunzite capturing Tuxedo Kamen, so she’s vowed to protect Usagi.” 

“I hadn’t really thought of that,” Luna said sheepishly. “You girls have all been dealt a rotten hand,” she added softly. “If I only knew where Pluto was,” she muttered under her breath, but didn’t finish the thought. 

It wasn’t really allowed, messing with time. It was technically taboo, but sometimes it had to be done. She didn’t think bringing back the three deceased men would count. She wished, again, that the girl's memories had returned sooner, as well as her own. Maybe they could have done something to save the men. 

“Where do they go?” Ami asked. 

“The park where Usagi and Mamoru tend to run into each other. There is a tiny pond off that stream where lotus tends to grow.” Rei blushed slightly. “I followed them a few times, after battles, to make sure they were okay.” 

“You girls go and check for them,” Luna ordered. “I wanted to talk to all five of you about the coming full moon.” 

“What about it?” Ami asked. Luna could see that she was headed out the door of the apartment she shared with her mother. 

“There are three days of a full moon, if you want to be very technical. Only the middle day is actually a full moon, but the waxing and waning days are also important. This month there will be a blood moon, or a red moon on the full moon. It’s a simple thing, an eclipse causes discoloration because the sunlight is refracted through the earth’s gasses, but throughout the history of the Silver Millennium there was a rather odd reaction to it.” 

“What do you mean?” asked Makoto, who was running lightly, her breath coming in shallow pants. 

“Well the red moon tends to clear up enchantments, bring together soulmates, and enhance precognitive abilities.” Luna smiled at the slightly confused look Makoto shot through the communicator. “Basically, if there was ever a chance to rescue Mamoru and Kunzite, this would be it. The veil over their connection with the girls is at it’s thinnest and they will be drawn to each other more fiercely than at any other time.” 

“Luna,” Rei’s voice came through the communicator and she peered into the screen, watching as the miko hovered over an area. “It looks like they were here. Minako’s Chapstick is on the grass, and the whole area at the edge of the water looks trampled. Footprints, big ones, are everywhere over the place they were sitting.” 

“But the full moon isn’t for another three days,” Luna muttered, frustrated. “It shouldn’t have happened so soon.” 

“What shouldn’t have happened?” Ami asked, sounding frightened. 

“I’m pretty sure Endymion and Kunzite have taken them,” Rei said softly. 

“Oh Kami help us,” Makoto breathed. “We have to save them.” 

“No,” Luna ordered. “You absolutely cannot go after them.” 

“Why?” Ami asked, sounding rebellious for the first time since Luna had met her. 

“Because you will give them away. If the men took them, it means they remember them somehow, and if that’s the case they will do what it takes to hide them. In the meantime, the Senshi cannot leave Tokyo or the dark queen will get suspicious. No, we have to do what we can to make sure she never learns they are missing.” 

“Hai,” the three girls chorused. 

* * *

_ ***Kunzite*** _

Kunzite frowned down at the smaller of the two blonde girls he and Endymion had kidnapped. At least, he was sure that was probably how the two young women felt about it. To his own mind it was a rescue. Queen Beryl had plans for Tokyo. He wouldn’t let his soulmate go back there and lose her life. And she was his soulmate. He could feel it. 

The question was, how could he keep her safe now? 

The blonde was now at his side. He had struggled with the idea of tying her up so she wouldn’t run away, but when he had finally let her find her feet she had stood at his side, face tilted up toward him as though asking what he wanted of her. She was so incredibly young and fragile. He would do whatever it took to protect her, even to the sacrifice of his own life. 

“How can we keep them hidden?” Endymion asked, eyeing the large silver door leading to the cavernous halls of the dark kingdom. Their chamber wasn’t too close to the throne room, nor to the area the Youma frequented when they were not called upon. Kunzite thought they would be fine, so long as they didn’t leave the rooms. 

“If they stay inside these chambers, none will find them,” Kunzite said. 

“I’m not taking that chance with her life,” Endymion argued. 

“I can help,” the tiny girl at his side said, her voice low. She reached out and wrapped slim fingers around Endymion’s and looked up at him, her eyes clear and bright. 

“How can you help?” Endymion asked, sounding both curious and annoyed. 

“With this.” The girl’s free hand seemed to disappear for a moment, before returning with a small pen held in its grasp. It was pink, with a bright red jewel at the top. “It’s called a disguise pen, and with it I can make myself look different.” 

“And I have this,” Kunzite’s blonde added, pulling out what looked like an ordinary compact mirror with a crescent moon on it. “This is the crescent compact,” she added. “I can change my appearance with it.” 

“How do you have these things?” Endymion asked, frowning deeply. 

The smaller blonde bit her bleeding lip, looking at her friend, who nodded. Then she took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and stood tall as she declared, “Because I am Sailor Moon, and this is Sailor Venus.” 

Shock coursed through Kunzite so quickly that he stumbled. He could hardly believe their words, but he knew they were telling the truth. Looking into the eyes of the young woman at his side, he could believe her the warrior he had fought so often and so fiercely. 

“You are my wife,” he said, and the words felt more right than any others he had spoken. 

“Not yet in this life,” the girl answered. “And if we aren’t careful, we won’t ever see that wedding.” She sighed and shook her head. “I don’t know what to do.” 

“I do,” the other girl said softly. Her hand disappeared once more, and returned holding a slim wand that fit her hand as though molded under it. At the end there was a bright crescent with an empty place where something special should rest. Kunzite didn’t know what it was, but he was sure it was important. It might be the very thing they needed to defeat the queen. 

“We have to heal them. And then we need to rescue the others and get them back to the girls so we can stop the attack on Tokyo. I assume that is why the two of you were so upset when you saw us.” 

“No!” Endymion cried out. “It’s too dangerous.”

* * *

_ ***Endymion/Mamoru*** _

Endymion frowned down at the one called Usagi. Kunzite was right. The two girls needed to be protected, even from themselves. There was no way he could bring his little blonde back to Tokyo now, even if she was as strong as she believed. Frowning, he pulled her closer and held tight. 

She pressed a hand to his chest. “Please,” she whispered. “You need to listen. Really listen.” 

“I don’t care who you are, or what you think you can do. There is no way to stop what is about to happen. Not now. At least, not without telling the Senshi. We have to get to them. I don’t know if they’ll believe us though.” 

“Mam-” She cut herself off and shook her head. “Endymion,” she said instead, “I really am Sailor Moon. I have a way to talk to the other Senshi, but I can’t use it here.” 

“Why not?” Kunzite asked, sounding belligerent. 

“Because if I use it, someone from the Dark Kingdom would know we were here. That would put the two of you in danger.” 

“We can take care of ourselves,” Kunzite answered, laughing. “But anything that puts the two of you in danger is a no.” 

Kunzite’s blonde reached up and turned his face with a gentle hand on his cheek, but Endymion had already turned back to his own, whose cerulean eyes were shimmering with unshed tears. He wanted to take her somewhere else, where she couldn’t be found by a wandering Youma, but there was nowhere else to go. 

“What is your name?” he asked. 

“Tsukino Usagi,” she whispered, her voice cracking. “And yours is Chiba Mamoru. You know me. You’ve known me a very long time.” 

Memories flickered through Endymion’s mind. He did remember the girl, wearing long pigtails as her counterpart, Sailor Moon did. He remembered teasing her, laughing with her, protecting her, and wanting nothing more than to wrap his arms around her and never let go. She had chased away the loneliness. 

A silver light flowed around Mamoru and he felt warmth in his chest battling the ever-cold darkness and taint of Metalia’s claw around his heart. More and more memories filtered into his mind, at the same time the pressure in his chest grew until it became a pain, and then it felt as though the claw was tightening and he was afraid he would die because he couldn’t draw a breath. Then he was free and his memories had been returned. He remembered becoming Tuxedo Kamen. He remembered the battle when he had been taken, and the long months of fighting at Sailor Moon’s side. 

Usagi turned in his arms and he rested his head on top of hers, watching with her as Minako kissed Kunzite. The wand raised in Usagi’s hands and they watched the silver light flow around him. What had felt like a million years to Mamoru as he was healed were only a few seconds in reality. Kunzite was healed before his lips parted from Minako’s. His dark grey uniform became the light, silvery-grey of the Shitennou. The cape on his back became a silver piece with bright orange lining the inside that matched the color on Venus’ fuku skirt. 

“Mina,” Kunzite breathed when they parted. 

“Kun.” 

“How?” 

Usagi snorted. “The wand healed them. We’re just glad we have the chance. Now, where are the others?” 

“In the endless slumber,” Kunzite spat. “The queen put them there because they failed her.” 

“Good,” Usagi said, and when Mamoru looked down at her, she seemed very pleased with herself. She looked up at him and smiled. “Do you think, if I were to use the disguise pen on you, that you could walk by a Youma without them sensing anything?”

“Maybe.” He wasn’t convinced. It would be dangerous. But he was willing to try if it would get Usagi out safely, and if they had some hope of rescuing the others. 

“Let’s find out,” Kunzite said. “Use that thing on me. Make me look like I used to.” He had turned back to Minako. “I trust you.” 

Mamoru turned to Usagi as well. If she could cloak the changes with her disguise pen, then he would do what he could to save the others with her. It might be dangerous, but she was the very reason he had continued on after discovering he was Tuxedo Kamen. If a young girl could put down her fear and be a hero, he could do no less. 

Soon he was disguised. He and Kunzite hurried to the door. After a moment, Kunzite slipped out into the hall and he followed. “Remember, we don’t like each other much,” he said softly. Kunzite nodded and immediately they began arguing, as though they hadn’t stopped, about the necessity of fair play in their battles against the Senshi. 

* * *

_ ***Minako*** _

“What are you thinking Usagi?” Minako asked, making her way to the smaller girl’s side. 

“We’re here. Kunzite knows where those sleeping things are. We could go get them right now, before the queen can do anything worse.” Usagi bit her lip, cracking it open again.

Minako reached into her pocket for her Chapstick, then realized it was gone, still on the grass at the edge of the stream. She wished she could go back and get it, but right now it was the least of their concerns. And she had to wonder if they could actually save the others. 

“Do you think we can manage it without getting caught?” Minako wondered. 

“Yes. If we move fast.” 

“You would have to heal them instantly,” Minako warned. She looked around, wondering if there was anything they could use to help them break the other men free. She saw nothing. 

Mamoru and Kunzite hurried back through the doorway. “No one noticed,” Mamoru said softly. “We didn’t get anywhere near the throne room, just in case.” 

“Good idea,” Minako replied. 

She was impressed. They’d only been healed for a few minutes and they were already acting so much different, seeming to look to them for guidance, but also taking charge of themselves. That was a good thing. She and Usagi were warriors themselves, not damsels in distress. And neither Kunzite nor Mamoru were the type to back down. 

“Kunzite,” Usagi started haltingly, “we were wondering just how far it is to those sleep chamber things.” 

“If we were to walk there from here, less than an hour.” 

“Can we get there faster?” 

“Not without teleporting or using a portal. Then we would be found out for sure. We can’t do that yet. It has to be the last thing we do. Are you certain you want to do this?” 

“Hai,” Usagi breathed. “They need their soulmates, just as much as you do.” 

Kunzite and Mamoru both nodded. Kunzite bowed slightly and spoke in a gentle voice. “We will do as you say Highness. It is time to rescue our friends. Then we must get back to Tokyo in time to stop the plan.” 

“I wish we understood more about what she’s planning to do. I don’t really get it.” Minako frowned up at Kunzite. He nodded in understanding. 

* * *

_ ***Usagi*** _

Usagi fought to hold back her tears as she felt Tuxedo Kamen’s hand wrap around her own. They couldn’t stay that way. Not while walking through the Negaverse. Still, it felt so right to wrap her fingers around his. 

“Are you alright?” he asked, his voice pitched low so it wouldn’t carry across the room to Minako and Kunzite. 

“Hai,” she lied. She was terrified that he was just going with the flow and would soon remember he couldn’t stand her. 

“I was faking,” he said, seeming to know what she was thinking. “I’ve always liked you.” 

“You have?” Usagi wanted to clap her hands, jump up and down, and scream like a schoolgirl. She was sixteen, and in love, and the guy she loved liked her back. There wasn’t much better, in the normal world. But they weren’t in that normal world at the moment. Soon they would be walking through the heart of the dark kingdom. 

“I have,” he whispered. “More than I ever wanted to admit to myself. I felt like a jerk, but I didn’t want anyone to know I cared, in case it put you in danger.” 

Usagi giggled. She had done the same thing with Mamoru as well. She had also hidden her secret from her family and friends for the same reason, though she couldn’t figure out why Luna insisted on it. In her own mind it would be safer if they knew so they could be on the lookout for anything suspicious. 

“I really want to talk about it,” Usagi told Mamoru. “Right now however, we have a few men to save and an entire kingdom to sneak through. Maybe we could get together later.” 

“It’s a date,” Mamoru said, winking at her. He had seen right through her ridiculous attempt to be coy. She sighed. She had a lot to learn about men. 

“When should we head out?” 

“Now is as good a time as any,” Kunzite said, as he and Minako moved closer. 

Usagi closed her eyes and held up the transformation pen, making herself look like a Youma. She watched Minako do the same and was repulsed, even though she knew it was her friend. When they left the chamber, she and Minako stayed a few steps behind the arguing "dark generals" as they led the way through the maze of caverns and tunnels. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Storyline Notes:   
> Alright, in my stories there are things that play a huge roll in bringing our couples together. Soul-Bonds. It is the formal tie between soulmates, rarely used even in the time of the Silver Millennium, and had pros and cons.   
> Because of those cons, the pair of soulmates were required to face the three Venusian Trials before a Soul-Bond could be completed because they would be completely linked in every life they lived after, and unable to find true love with any but their Bonded mate. If one died, the other usually died shortly after unless they had a very compelling reason to keep them alive (such as young children, a solar system to run, or if they had vowed revenge). Also, the Bond includes the Crystals (or star seeds) the couple carries, and those Crystals have a mind of their own, though they think nothing like humans. They can do insane things to rekindle or reforge the bond in lives after the initial Bond is performed.   
> The Pros sometimes outweighed the cons of the Soul-Bond, which gives several important benefits. With the Bond intact, the couple can speak telepathically to one another, no matter how far apart they are (unless one is in a different time). They can share each other's strengths, including their powers. One person in the Bond could be tired and the other could literally share their own energy. They can feel one another's pain. Finally, taking on the Soul-Bond begins an increase in the couple's own powers, and an increase in their ability to work together seamlessly, which makes it possible for them to do incredible things.   
> The sun and moon in particular have an effect on Soul-Bonds, since the first one was created by the protector of the Sun, Lugh, when the FIRST Senshi came to be. 
> 
> Character Notes:   
> Luna & Artemis: In my stories I tend to make Luna slightly more manga version, though it is something she grows into. The caveat to this is that I also sometimes have her and Artemis remember each other the moment they see each other, or have some sort of interaction with the Crystal. Luna tends to be goal-oriented and able to handle conflicts that come up, while Artemis prefers a more behind-the-scenes approach.


	3. Chapter 3: Courage Red

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A daring rescue and a surprise for the other Senshi...

**Under the Red Moon**   
_ Sailor Senshi Mini Bang 2020 _   
**Chapter Three** **  
** **Courage Red**

* * *

_ ***Jadeite*** _

Jadeite had been in the chamber of Endless Slumber for what seemed an eternity. Paused in time as he was about to pull a breath into his lungs, he had been feeling as though he would die since the moment of his capture in the awful thing. Frozen, staring out of the frosted glass before him, Jadeite had watched as first Nephrite and then Zoicite had been put into the chambers across from him. Unable to help them, or himself, Jadeite had tried everything in his power to reach for some kind of help, unsuccessfully. He was ready to give up, to let the madness have him. He had nothing left to give. 

Just as he was having that thought, Jadeite saw a spark of light, though he couldn’t be sure which direction it had come from. Peering through frosted glass, unable to move his head or eyes in any other direction, he was helpless and unable to see what was coming next. He wished he could shiver, or do anything other than hover between one moment and the next for eternity. 

“He’s here,” someone said. The voice was familiar, but not. “And the others are right there.” 

“How do we get them out of there?” a young, feminine voice asked. 

“I’m not sure,” that was Kunzite’s voice! “The Queen just tapped her staff to lock Zoicite up. I figured it had something to do with that.

“Maybe something like this,” the familiar voice answered. 

Jadeite heard a loud cracking sound around him and wanted to scream. They were going to pull the chamber right down on top of him. Another crack sounded and suddenly Jadeite felt his eyes blink and a heavy breath was pulled automatically into his lungs. He was breathing. He was free!

Someone tiny made their way into the chamber and he could feel a little arm wrap around his waist. He stumbled forward and bent to escape through the cracked side of the chamber. As soon as he was out, he fell to his knees in front of Kunzite, who had an arm wrapped around the waist of a young blonde woman. Another man stood beside him and something in Jadeite felt called to the man like nothing had ever pulled at him before. He couldn't even think about it, as he started coughing and couldn't stop. 

* * *

_ ***Nephrite*** _

Nephrite had been dreaming of rescue for so long he couldn’t imagine it ever coming. So when he heard voices, some of them familiar, he wanted to scream and run toward them. He heard and saw the chamber across from him crack open, and then he watched Sailor Moon of all people slip inside the chamber, wrap her arm around the young man, and pull him out through the hole. 

Why would their enemy come to save them? And why was Kunzite with them? It made no sense, but at this point, after weeks without breathing, he was willing to do anything for a single breath of air. 

He heard Jadeite coughing and saw him fall to his knees on the stone floor, and watched in amazement as the tiniest of the warriors he had faced knelt beside Jadeite and hugged him while tears poured down his face and he struggled to breathe properly. Nephrite steeled himself to face the same fate. 

While he was waiting, Kunzite had moved to stand in front of Zoicite’s chamber. “My friend, I need you to trust me,” Kunzite said. “Sailor Moon is going to get you out of that chamber, and I need you to not attack her. I wish I could get your promise first, but since I cannot, I am going to use my Shadow to hold you still. Remember that it is me and I would never harm you.” 

“Wait,” a Senshi Nephrite didn’t know put her hand on Kunzite’s shoulder. “He won’t attack her, but let’s get Nephrite out first. Based on Jadeite’s reaction, I think they can’t breathe in those things. It would be driving them insane.

She was right. It was driving him insane. He had learned not to focus on it, but it was always there, screaming in the back of his mind. He hated not breathing. It was wrong! His chest wanted to move. His lungs wanted to fill. 

Thinking about it made panic well up inside Nephrite until he could hardly think. He had been doing so well, until they came and made him hope. They were killing him!

“Shh,” a soft voice whispered and Nephrite allowed his eyes to stare into the cerulean depths of Sailor Moon’s. “I’m going to save you,” she whispered. She held up the wand and Nephrite felt a bubble form around him, then heard the loud crack of the chamber breaking open and sweet air rushed to fill his aching chest. 

Soon the small heroine had crawled into the chamber and wrapped her arm around his hips. She couldn’t even reach his waist. Even as he struggled to breathe he wanted to laugh. The tiny little hero was struggling just to hold him upright. There was no way she could drag him out of the chamber. 

Tuxedo Kamen was then before them, and as Nephrite watched a rose appeared in his hand, drawn from nothingness. The stem began to grow and change, becoming a long, thick vine that crept into the small opening and pushed at it until the crack grew and widened. Finally, the vine disappeared and strong arms came in to help Nephrite out of the chamber. The girl followed after, her hands on the small of his back. 

A moment later he was sitting next to Jadeite on the floor, his back against a damp stone wall, his eyes finally closed. The lids ached, as did his chest. In fact, most everything hurt. His feet, which had been carrying his weight for a long time, were tender and sore. His hips and back ached, and he wanted nothing more than to lay down and sleep for a week. 

* * *

_ ***Zoicite*** _

Zoicite was waiting, his eyes on the calm silver of Kunzite’s. The man hadn’t moved from in front of his chamber, and Zoicite was grateful. It was something to latch onto, to keep him sane. He had heard Kunzite’s words, and Sailor Venus’. But more than that, he had seen Sailor Moon rescue his brother Jadeite, and then Nephrite. He knew she wasn’t here to hurt him. 

Some of the anger that he had been holding so tightly escaped. Then again, when he had seen Nephrite in the chambers he had known the little Senshi hadn’t killed him, as the queen had told him. What other lies had he been fed? He’d had several days to think about his current life, and he knew it for a lie, even as dim memories of a beautiful girl had begun to grow stronger in his mind. A girl whose intelligence matched her beauty and her kindness. 

Ami. 

Was she real? He wondered about her. It could just be him losing his mind in the chamber, but she seemed real to him. And so familiar. As though he had seen her in his life. But that was impossible. He had been created in the dark kingdom, in a chamber much like the one he was in now. Unless that was another lie. 

When Nephrite was free, Sailor Moon approached Zoicite’s chamber. She rested her hand on the glass, looking horribly sad, and then stepped back and lifted the Moon Wand. A moment later the chamber cracked open. Before any of them could push their way inside, Zoicite fell to his knees and crawled out. 

“Arigato,” he whispered, and then he started to cough. And cough. And cough. He had kept from thinking about not breathing, but now that he was the pain in his chest was horrendous. He clutched at it, hating the feeling of never having enough breath, and rocked back and forth on the cold, damp stone as he filled his lungs again and again. The air in this place was stale and cold. He wanted fresh air. 

“Lets get them to the jinja before we heal them,” Sailor Moon said. “This place can’t be good for them.” 

“You’re right,” Kunzite said. “Get as close to me as you can,” he urged, then wrapped an arm around Zoicite and lifted him off the ground. 

Zoicite, who couldn’t open his eyes for some reason, felt himself lifted up, and then light and air vanished for the blink of an eye before he was suddenly in a place of warmth and air and the fresh smells of long grass, trees, and flowers. He could hear water burbling somewhere nearby, and felt the soft touch of grass on his skin as he was laid down on it. 

* * *

_ ***Usagi*** _

Sailor Moon watched Kunzite lift Zoicite, who appeared worse off than the others, in spite of having spent less time in the chamber. She gathered close, as Kunzite instructed, then nearly panicked when the dark, airless void covered them for half a heartbeat. Soon she was standing in the warm sun, her hands each on the shoulder of a kneeling man as they panted in the dry, hot air. 

Turning her head, she peered at the small woods set between the practice field and the jinja, wondering if she should just run and grab Rei, or if it would be better to call her. Shaking her head, she knelt on the grass, which tickled her legs above the boots. She focused on Nephrite first, since he seemed the most responsive. 

Placing her hand on his shoulder, she lifted the Moon Wand and bowed her head, calling on the power within. “Moon Healing Escalation,” she said, keeping her voice low. She felt the power welling up from her chest, powering through her arm and down her fingertips. Then a silver glow covered Nephrite, who seemed to be lifted slightly. 

As Sailor Moon watched, the dark grey of Nephrite’s uniform seemed to seep away as though it was leached into the earth. Soon he turned clear blue eyes on her and gave a small nod and a bright smile. He was obviously exhausted, and in pain. And weak. He was very weak. His muscles appeared to have atrophied slightly. She looked over at Tuxedo Kamen, concerned. 

“It will be alright,” Kamen said in a soft voice. “The earth will heal him. He is connected to it. I might be able to help,” he added, crouching next to Nephrite. He closed his eyes and reached out a hand, laying it on the taller man’s shoulder. She looked on in amazement as color seeped into his face and he sat up taller and stronger. 

Grateful, she nodded her thanks and turned to Jadeite, who lay unmoving on his back, his eyes open wide as he stared into the sky. Tears were pouring down his cheeks and dripping into the grass. She didn’t speak a word as she knelt beside him and laid one hand over his forehead. Her heart was breaking for him. He had been trapped the longest, and had probably watched in horror as his friends were put under the same torture. 

When she had finished healing the man, Sailor Moon bent and pressed her lips to his forehead, meeting his eyes as she drew back up. “It’s going to be okay,” she said. 

“Thank you,” Jadeite whispered. He turned his gaze back up to the sky and she backed away, leaving him to his thoughts, and his silent tears. By the time she had reached Zoicite, Tuxedo Kamen was already kneeling beside Jadeite. He would have his work cut out for him. The devastation of so long in the chamber had severely impacted Jadeite. He no longer looked hale and hearty, but weak and sickly. 

Finally, Sailor Moon knelt in front of Zoicite, who had been staring at Kunzite and Venus as they patrolled around the three men, wary of the slightest danger. His longer strawberry blonde hair was a mess and his grey eyes were wide, as though he was terrified of closing them, even though the bright sun must hurt after so long in the darkness. 

“Is it alright if I heal you?” she asked. With the others she had been sure of the answer and knew they wanted her to just do it, not talk about it. Zoicite’s mind worked slightly differently, a bit more like Ami’s. He needed to work things out in a different way. He needed to speak and be heard. 

“I really thought you had killed Nephrite,” he said softly. “I hated you for it.” 

Sailor Moon nodded in understanding. “I would have done the same had I thought you’d killed Jupiter,” she answered finally. 

Zoicite snorted. “You wouldn’t have. You don’t have the capacity to hate.” 

“I do too,” Sailor Moon argued, though she secretly believed he was right. The other girls seemed to almost hate Beryl and Metalia, while she was merely sad. Perhaps there was something wrong with her. 

“You don’t, and that’s a good thing,” Zoicite countered, giving her a small smile. It was encouraging. She hoped he would let her heal him. 

“May I heal you?” she asked again, hoping that had been his only issue. 

“Yes,” he said, lowering his eyes. 

Sailor Moon pressed her hand against the back of his and squeezed gently as she let the magic flow through her. She watched in amazement as the grey seemed to melt away, but was startled when the young man looked up and met her eyes with his now silvery-blue ones. His cheekbones were slightly hollowed, but otherwise he looked to be in much better shape than the others. 

“Thank you,” he said, bowing his head again. He breathed deeply and looked around him with interest. “Where are we? This place is beautiful.”

* * *

_ ***Rei*** _

Rei had been watering the garden when she’d heard the voices. At first she’d assumed it was a couple visitors to the jinja who had left the areas where they were supposed to be. She was feeling vulnerable and upset since discovering Usagi and Minako had been taken. Luna had followed her back to the Jinja to calm her, but Rei had needed something she could work with. First the hoe, attacking weeds, and then carrying heavy buckets of water had cooled most of her anger, and even some of her fear. 

She knew without a doubt that Usagi and Minako were powerful warriors. If they had gone with the men without a fight, it was because they had some sort of plan. Now all she had to do was wait for them to come back. Perhaps with Kunzite and Mamoru. It would be nice to see them happy. 

Rei sighed. She let water flow from the small container she carried and watched as it sunk into the soil. She wished desperately that she could find that same happiness, but she knew she never would. A few weeks before, when Zoicite had been enraged and screaming about Nephrite being dead, Rei had realized her own soulmate was gone. 

For a moment she had been almost relieved. If her soulmate was gone, then she didn’t ever have to get married. But then the pain had hit her. The pain of realizing the other half of her soul would never be there for her, that she would never be whole. And without Jadeite, what chance did she have of ever becoming whole. Already so much had been taken from her. Her mother and baby brother had died, her father might as well have, and her childish belief that people were good had been stolen by a boy who thought he was a man. 

She wished, and not for the first time, that her memories had not come back when Sailor Moon had become Princess Serenity. Knowing that she’d had a soulmate, but that he was gone, was torture. It would be hard to stand by and watch her friends have what she still wanted, a husband and family, but Rei was determined that she wouldn’t let petty jealousy get the best of her. She could remember her last life, and that would have to be enough. 

The voices returned and Rei put down the watering can, curious. She wondered why the guests had gone into the practice field. The path wasn’t visible from the areas where they were allowed. It was their private path, and a place Rei had gone for as long as she could remember, when life just got to be too much. 

She followed the path, humming tunelessly under her breath, until she came to the end of the path and stopped in shock and fear. Without thought her hand went to her communicator and she pressed the panic button. Then, rubbing her eyes to make sure what she was seeing was real, Rei stepped out of the trees and looked again. 

Sure enough, there were five young men and two young women in the field. But it wasn’t guests of the Jinja. The dark generals were in the practice field! And they had Sailor Moon and Sailor Venus! She didn’t stop to think about the fact that there only should have been two men, and didn’t even notice the change in their uniforms. 

Rei held up her transformation pen. “Mars Power, make up!” she yelled, startling the others, who stared at her wide-eyed. Sailor Moon moved out in front of the others as Mars stepped out of the flame. She lifted her arms and held them up, ready to fight to save her friends, but Moon held up her own arms in what looked like a “don’t shoot,” gesture. 

Confused, Mars stopped in the grass and stared at the tableaux in front of her. The three men who had long been missing were trying to stand. Kunzite and Endymion both had rushed after Sailor Moon and were even now throwing their arms in front of her. And they all looked different. 

Mars gasped when she realized it wasn’t Endymion standing in front of Sailor Moon, but Tuxedo Kamen. The rose he had in his breast pocket was bright, crimson red. Her jaw dropped and she stood stock still, waiting to hear an explanation. 

And then her eyes were drawn to Jadeite, who had been her soulmate and husband in their former life, and her enemy in this. When her eyes met his, she didn’t see someone to fight against however. She saw a broken heart and mending body, and a hand outstretched. For one shining moment, Rei didn’t feel weak and powerless. She felt strong, and needed. 

Mars didn’t hesitate. The nearly white-grey of his uniform, the bright, intelligent eyes full of mischief and pain, and the tiny smile he tried to hide all told her one thing. Jadeite was healed. He wasn’t a dark general anymore. Sobbing, Mars threw herself to the ground beside him, and wrapped herself around the man she had once loved so much, and who still called to her in a way no other ever could. 

“Mars,” he said softly, his face buried in her hair. “I almost thought you were nothing but a dream,” he admitted. 

“This had better not be a dream,” she whispered angrily. She wouldn’t let it be a dream. She was going to hold tight to this reality and make it hers. Then she heard the whispered conversation between Minako and Usagi, who had released their transformation. 

“I didn’t think they knew,” Usagi said, sounding horribly sad. 

“None of them said anything,” Minako answered in a soothing tone. “How could you know? Maybe they just didn’t want you to worry.” 

Mars sniffled and turned to look at her friends. “We didn’t want you to feel guilty for being happy,” she explained. 

“We?” Usagi asked, sniffling. 

“All of us remembered the night we lost Tuxedo Kamen,” Mars explained. “But you were so upset, we thought we would wait to tell you. And then, we thought they were dead and you and Minako seemed so determined to save Kunzite and Mamoru. We didn’t want you to think we were upset about it.” 

“But you were, weren’t you?” Usagi asked, sounding hurt. 

Releasing her transformation, Rei turned fully to look at Usagi. “Of course we were. No one could be unaffected by losing their soulmate. But we all decided we wanted you to be happy, even if we couldn’t be.” 

“But I couldn’t be there for you,” Usagi said, stepping back. “I’m supposed to be your friend.” 

“You are!” Minako and Rei both said, louder than either of them intended. 

Rei bowed her head. She hadn’t intended to hurt her friend, but she always seemed to do the wrong thing. Jadeite squeezed her hand and released it. “Go talk to her,” he encouraged. 

She bent and kissed his forehead, then hurried to Usagi, wrapping her arms around the smaller girl. It was strange to hug anyone, but Usagi was like a sister and she would deal with a little discomfort. With her head on Usagi’s shoulder, Rei whispered, “we love you Usa. We just wanted to protect you.” 

Usagi nodded, sniffled, then snuggled closer. Rei sighed into the hug, feeling comfortable and loved. It wasn’t how she normally felt when people other than her grandfather got close. It was nice, like a comfortable sweater or a cozy blanket, all warm and wrapped around her. 

* * *

_ ***Ami*** _

Ami had already been on the way to the Jinja when she heard the distress call. She had rushed into the nearest alley and transformed before taking to the rooftops and running as fast as she could toward her friend. 

There was no further message about what was going on, so Mercury had to assume there was a battle. She needed to get to Rei fast. She hoped her friend had been able to transform. It sometimes happened that people were around when a monster appeared. 

After reaching the Jinja, Mercury looked around, confused. None of the guests were running and screaming. A young priest in training, Yuichiro, was raking one side of the garden. Grandfather Hino was flirting with a trio of girls, who looked to be blushing and giggling. She shook her head. 

Where was Rei? Had she gotten there too late? No, that didn’t make sense. 

If something had happened to Rei, there wouldn’t be the pleasant sense of calm and quiet that surrounded the shrine. Pulling her Mercury computer from her subspace pocket, she opened an app that allowed her to search the area for negative energy. Nothing. There were tiny lingering traces near the practice field, but nothing significant. Certainly there was nothing in the jinja itself. 

Making her decision, Mercury snapped the mini-computer closed and put it back into her subspace pocket, then hurried to the tree line. Soon she was running full-speed down the path, praying to the kami to protect her friend. 

Mercury burst out of the trees and came to a startled stop, staring in awe as Usagi and Rei hugged, while Minako and five young men watched. Panting from her run, Mercury took a step forward, surprised more by the sight of Rei showing affection than by anything else. Rubbing her eyes, she concluded that it was real, but she couldn’t understand what was happening. 

It took several long seconds for Mercury’s brain to catch up with her eyes, something that had never happened to her before. She took in the sight of Chiba Mamoru, then the four men in silvery-grey uniforms standing, kneeling, sitting, and lying around the two hugging women. She saw Sailor Venus, whose eyes were turned from Usagi and Rei and up into the silver eyes of the man with longer silver-white hair. 

Recognition took only a heartbeat, and before that was over, Ami had let go of her henshin and was panting, kneeling in the grass where she had fallen, her eyes caught on the strawberry locks of the one man still turned away from her. Was it really him? She had believed him dead. How could he be here, right in front of her? How could he be lying on the grass, watching two girls cry and hug, when Ami had thought him gone from her forever. 

Each beat of her heart was a painful thump. Tears streamed down her cheeks and into the grass. Ami had the absurd thought that her tears would form a river and flow into the sea. Then she heard Usagi gasp and slowly, so slowly she felt she would die in the interim, Zoicite turned and caught sight of her. She heard the deep intake of breath and the squeak of sound that erupted from him. 

Then Zoicite was scrambling towards her and something inside Ami snapped. Instead of running toward the love of her former existence, Ami stood, turned, and ran away as fast as her feet would carry her. It was too much. Too much heartache, too much sorrow, and too much pain. She couldn’t face it again. Losing him. She couldn’t take the chance. 

She didn’t get far before a small blonde wall was standing in front of her with outstretched arms. Ami flew into her best friend, wrapping her arms around Usagi and clinging for dear life. “This can’t be real,” she whispered, still panting. “It can’t be true.” 

“It is real Ami. He’s here. Right behind you. And he doesn’t understand why you’re running from him.” Usagi’s voice was low, gentle, and soothing. Looking down into her eyes, Ami saw no judgement, and no condemnation. 

“Do you know why?” she asked, unsure she even knew the answer herself.

“Because you’re afraid of him. You’re afraid to love and to lose again Ami. But if you don’t open your heart, you will never be whole.” 

Ami, who had watched her father walk out the door and never return, who had never made friends before the girl standing before her, and who had no idea how to interact with people, stared at her friend in shock. For a moment, hurt crossed through her, but seeing the love and care in Usagi’s eyes made her realize her friend was only trying to help. 

“What if he leaves?” she whispered, sharing her new deepest fear.

“I wouldn’t do that!” The shock and anger in Zoicite’s voice was like a barb. She hadn’t meant to cause him pain, but he was wrong. He could, and would leave her, one day. He would die. Or she would. Could she survive another loss like that? Zoicite hadn’t finished. “Why won’t you even look at me?” he asked angrily. “You are my wife!” 

Shock raced up her spine and Ami turned without thinking, meeting those beautiful ice-blue eyes she had dreamed of for so long. Still clinging to Usagi’s hand like a lifeline, she dared to see past Zoicite’s anger to the hurt he was hiding. So like herself. His eyes glistened and Ami suspected if they had been alone he might have cried. She hated that she had done that to him. 

“Not yet, in this life,” she whispered, bowing her head. 

“Soon?” he asked, a hint of hopeful desperation in his voice. 

Ami looked back up at him, unsure how he could still want her when the first thing she had done was cause him pain. She could remember their lives together. He had become her confidant, when life on the moon became too stressful. He had been her friend, her lover, her husband. And yet, Ami had led a completely different life, here on the earth. A life where her father had disappeared without a trace, and her mother had hidden her broken heart in work. 

“I don’t know,” she answered honestly. “I’m only sixteen, in this life.” 

“I’m eighteen,” Zoicite said, his voice strained. “I could take care of you.” 

“I don’t need to be taken care of,” Ami said, a little heat in her voice. “I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I don’t need anyone.” She felt Usagi squeeze her hand and took a deep breath. “But I want you in my life.” 

Zoicite’s face lit up with the massive smile that crossed his features. Before Ami could even think of something else to say she was in his arms, her lips bruised under the weight of his passionate kiss. Instead of yelling at him, as Ami had intended, or hitting him, as she might have done if her brain hadn’t turned to mush, she melted into his hold on her, feeling his arms come around her, under her bottom. He lifted her higher and kissed even deeper, his tongue spearing into her mouth. One part of her was annoyed that he would take such liberties, while the other part of her was begging to strip his clothes off his body and make love to him right there in the field. 

“Ahem.” 

Ami bit Zoicite’s lip playfully and ran her fingers up under the tie in his long hair to dig them into his scalp and rub playfully. She felt his hand squeeze her bottom rhythmically, and his hips started to thrust against hers. The unending desire swelled through her system until all Ami could think was that if she didn’t take him now, she would die. 

“Ahem!” 

Rei’s irritated tone brought Ami back to reality, but Zoicite was still kissing the column of her throat. She couldn’t help purring in delight. Bending her head, Ami took the lower tip of his ear in her teeth, biting slightly harder than she’d intended. Zoicite growled and pulled her more tightly against him. 

“Zoicite, Attention!” A harsh male voice brought them both up short and Ami blushed as she was lowered back to her feet. She stumbled slightly until his strong arms steadied her. Then Ami turned with him to face Kunzite. Behind the silver-haired leader, Ami could see Mamoru manfully trying to hide a smile, and the other two not even pretending to hide their mirth. 

Beside Kunzite, Minako, now untransformed, was grinning like the Cheshire cat. 

* * *

_ ***Makoto**** _

Makoto had been in the Crown when the call came. It had been part of her normal patrol and she had wanted to check in on Usagi’s friends, Naru and Umino, who had a tendency to find themselves in the midst of trouble. When the emergency call had come in, it had been tough to find an excuse to get away, but eventually she had done so. Then she ran into the alley, transformed, and raced across the rooftops to the Jinja, ready to face anything to protect Rei. 

Ten minutes later, Makoto still hadn’t left the trees. She stood there, watching silently, unable to take a step forward, or even call out to her friends for help. She had arrived only seconds after Ami, and had watched her come to terms with Zoicite’s presence. But she couldn’t make herself believe that Nephrite was really standing there, laughing with Jadeite at their friend’s discomfiture. 

It was hard to look anywhere else. All that chestnut colored hair flowing freely down his back. The laughing blue eyes she remembered now so full of pain. The muscles that made her feel almost weak in comparison. Everything about him was larger than life. Makoto wasn’t sure if she was awake, or if she was in the midst of a cruel dream she would soon wake from. Drinking in his every movement, Makoto simply watched, willing herself to move, but unable to obey. 

It was Nephrite that noticed her first. He had been standing there, watching Kunzite dress down Zoicite about showing women proper respect in public, when he suddenly turned and stared right at her. The pull from his eyes was almost enough to break her trance, but if felt as though her feet were trapped in cement. She watched Nephrite move towards her, slowly, as though she were a wild thing trapped in a net, and wished she could fly out and throw herself into his arms. 

It took an eternity, and only seconds, for Nephrite to reach her in the trees and lift her into his arms. He didn’t immediately kiss her, as she had assumed he would. Instead he stepped back out into the field and sat on the grass, holding her in his arms as he would a small child, making soothing noises at her. It was only then that Makoto realized she was crying, and not prettily. Huge, heaving sobs shook her whole body as she lay against him, clinging to her hope that he was real. If it was a dream, it was the most cruel dream in history.

“Makoto,” he whispered, rocking slightly from side to side. “Why are you so sad, my love?” 

“I d-don’t w-want to w-wake up,” she managed through sobs so hard they made her cough. “I d-don’t want to l-lose you a-a-again.” Her chest hurt at only the thought. 

“Then we’ll stay here and dream forever,” Nephrite whispered, pressing hot lips to her forehead. “I don’t want to let you go.” And Makoto felt a his tears hit her cheek. Looking up into his eyes, she could see her own fears reflected back. He was just as afraid of losing her as she was of losing him. 

When Makoto pulled up her arms to hug Nephrite, she heard his sharp intake of breath and looked down. There, on his wrist, were red lines from her nails digging deeply into his skin. She’d had no idea she was clinging so hard. 

“Is this real?” she asked, looking to Usagi, who was weeping openly as she watched. 

“It’s real Mako,” Usagi whispered, “you won’t ever be alone again.” And Usagi broke down into sobs and fell to her knees. Mamoru was there in an instant, his arms wrapping around the petite blonde and lifting her up. 

Nephite touched Makoto’s cheek, his roughened fingers so gentle she hardly felt the gesture. She turned to meet his eyes and saw so much pain in them that her heart simply melted. She would do anything, be anything, to take away that hurt, that fear, and that sorrow. Hitching on a grin, she stared into his eyes, and joked, “aren’t you going to announce I’m your wife too?” 

Nuzzling against her cheek, he whispered a response. “I don’t need to announce it,” Nephrite said, his voice soft and low as he spoke against her ear. “So long as we know.” 

“We do,” she returned, cursing her voice for squeaking. 

Nephrite chuckled. “And are you going to tell me you’re too young?” he asked. 

Makoto shook her head violently. “I’m sixteen. By law, I can get married. And my parents’ lawyer will probably be glad to get rid of me.” 

“Parents’ lawyer?” Nephrite asked, his brows drawn together in a serious frown. 

“My parents died,” she explained over the lump in her throat. Even so many years later it was hard to talk about it. “Plane crash.” 

“Makoto,” Nephrite murmured, pulling her even closer. “I'm sorry. I lost my parents too.” 

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, putting her hand on his cheek. He was so beautiful. Handsome, she supposed. He had a rugged, square face, a strong jaw that was lightly stubbled, and his thick hair was incredibly soft against her fingers. 

“Will you marry me again?” he asked. 

Makoto couldn’t help laughing. He had to be joking. How could he doubt her for a second. “Yes,” she whispered, “but we have work to do first.” 

“Not until I’ve kissed my fiancée’,” he argued. 

Makoto couldn’t help giggling. Until Nephrite turned his words into action and kissed her, gentle, yet hard, soft, yet strong, and so passionately that the world disappeared and all she could envision was him, holding her tightly, forever. 

“Enough Nephrite,” Kunzite scolded. “As I’ve already reminded Zo, there is a limit to how much is accepted in public. You must honor your bride.” 

“Yes Kunzite-san,” Nephrite mumbled, stealing one last kiss before he stood and gently helped Makoto to stand with him. 

Mamoru, who had his arm wrapped around Usagi’s waist, turned to look at everyone. Instinctively, the group pulled closer together, ready to listen to their leaders. “Beryl has a plan in place for Tokyo,” he announced. “One that could mean the death of every person in the city. We have to be fast if we are to stop her.” 

Makoto felt her blood boil. This was her home, and she would protect it from the Dark Kingdom until her very last breath. She was a Senshi, and she took that job seriously. 

* * *

_ ***Artemis*** _

“We’re almost there,” Luna scolded, her voice coming in pants as the two cats raced up the steps. “Stop fretting. I’m sure they have a good reason for not answering their communicators.” 

“What if they’ve been taken too?” Artemis worried, his mind still on Minako, and his worry for the girl who had become much like a daughter to him. “What if something bad has happened to Mina and Usagi?” 

Artemis heard a sad sound from Luna and wanted to kick himself for his stupidity. Of course Luna was worried too. She just didn’t like to show weakness. She didn’t say anything else however, as they had reached the jinja. Nothing was out of order. In fact, everything seemed completely peaceful and perfect. Until Artemis realized Rei’s grandfather was staring down the path to the practice field. Which meant that must have been where she had gone. 

“This way,” he whispered, careful to make sure no one was close enough to hear him. 

Dashing across the jinja, Artemis didn’t take the time to notice much, but he saw Grandfather catch sight of him and nod, as though satisfied. Tucking that little nugget away to think about later, Artemis focused on getting safely to the path without knocking into any of the people there. Luna was only half a pace behind him, and catching quickly, when they reached the wooded area and dashed through. 

“I should have realized she would have led any monsters away from those innocents,” she whispered, obviously not expecting a response. 

He gave one anyway. “So should I. I think this has been rather overwhelming for us too,” he admitted. “We definitely need to take a break once this is all over. A nice vacation to some faraway place with sunny beaches and no monsters.” 

Luna chuckled. “We knew what we were getting into.” 

“We did,” he agreed.

They had remembered just enough, and not nearly enough, to begin their mission. Their only true memories had been of each other, and of the queen’s last request. To find the Silver Crystal and help the young ones fulfill their destiny. Even for a cat like him, who had lived in the Silver Millennium most of his life, it was hard to believe that the girls, his Minako, and especially sweet Usagi had some part to play in ancient prophecies. But their charges had been reborn in this life, and even with little training, the Princess was already fulfilling her purpose. 

They were through the woods, and what they saw made them stop so quickly that they stumbled into one another and went tumbling out in an ungainly heap, getting leaves and dirt all through their fur. Luna made a strangled sound and humphed loudly as she stepped away, glaring at him. 

“If looks could kill...” Minako started. 

Artemis didn’t give her time to finish marring the saying. By the time she had reached mid-sentence he had leapt into her arms and was rubbing his cheek against hers. “I was so worried,” he purred. “Don’t you ever do that to me again,” he scolded a second later. “I missed you,” he added sadly. 

“I’m so sorry Artemis. I promise, I won’t do it again.” The words were so contrite and her eyes so huge and sad that he couldn’t help but forgive her instantly. “Look who we brought with us,” she added. 

Artemis turned in her arms and peered out to see a row of young men, kneeling with their fists on the ground and their hands over their hearts. He gasped in shock as Kunzite too gave him and Luna the measure of respect only given to kings and queens of the earth. The gesture so moved him that had he been able to weep in his current form, he would have. 

Leaping to the ground, he lowered his front legs until he was bowing in respect as well as a cat could. “You honor us far too much.”

“No,” Kunzite said, lifting his head to look him in the eye. “No measure of thanks would be enough for those who guarded and guided our wives, who protected them in our absence, and who comforted them when the pain grew to be too much to bear.” 

The words, so reminiscent of the man Kunzite had been, were a rather shocking reminder of their deaths in the last life, and of the burdens they had carried in this. “I am glad to see you as you once were,” Artemis said formally. “A strong and proud defender of the realm. You are a good and wise leader, and will make your father proud.” 

Kunzite gave only a nod in response, but the bobbing of his throat said much. He too had been moved. When all four men were standing once more, and each had spoken a few words to him and Luna, they moved to sit around a large rock they could use as a makeshift table. 

“Tell us everything,” Luna said, a sense of urgency filtering through her tone. 

“Beryl is planning to steal the life force of every person in Tokyo,” Mamoru explained. Gasps sounded around the circle, but Artemis didn’t speak. He wanted to hear every word. “She doesn’t know how to get her hands on the Crystal without waking Metalia, and Metalia can’t be woken without the energy of the Crystal. Beryl grows desperate. She knows the longer Sailor Moon holds the Crystal the more she will learn how to use it’s power. She chose Tokyo because she believes she can sweep up the energy of the Senshi along with everyone else.” 

“My family,” Usagi gasped, her hands covering her face. 

“Grandfather,” Rei looked back toward the Jinja. 

“Mom,” Ami whispered, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. 

“Naru and Umino, and Motoki,” Makoto said, looking as though the world was ending. She stood up and paced away. Nephrite hurried after her, whispering something into her ear as he led her back to stand before the others. 

Minako shook her head, tears flying from either cheek. Then she cleared her throat and looked at Artemis and Luna. “What do we do?” she asked. 

Artemis was proud she was his charge. She was becoming every bit the queen and Senshi her mother had been. Aphrodite would be overjoyed. Meeting her eyes he said the only thing he could in that moment, without a plan and facing certain danger. “We fight.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Storyline Notes:   
> You are probably wishing I had more of the love part before getting into the battle, and I do, but here I wanted to show that those bonds from their last lives hadn't been entirely torn away, but remained, weak and battered, but still truly a part of the Senshi and Shitennou. 
> 
> Character Notes:   
> Ami: Her backstory is that her father left her and her mother, and hasn't been heard from since. She secretly believes he must have died, or that he might not have loved her at all. She struggles with feeling unlovable, as well as being shy, which caused her to be bullied often before meeting Usagi and the others.   
> Zoicite: Jadeite's older brother in this life. Their parents died in a fire resulting from a Youma attack. They went to an orphanage where they met the others. While he can be shy and reserved like Ami, Zoicite tends to be more playful. (Side note, in my stories, the two of them tend to be unable to stop themselves from kissing each other from the moment they realize they love each other, which means in this story, from the first moment they see each other.)  
> Rei: She suffered an assault by an older boy at one of her father’s parties, and since then has had trouble with handling the aftermath, though she has help from friends and family who care about her. She is determined to be a good wife and mother someday and often is too hard on herself. She doesn’t like showing emotion to others, and usually hides it with a petty fight with Usagi, who knows her secret and helps her.   
> Jadeite: Zoicite’s younger brother in this life. Their parents died in a fire resulting from a Youma attack. They went to an orphanage where they met the others. Jadeite has a tendency to pull pranks, and loves to hide in plain sight. He is skilled at disguises and blending in. He can be overprotective of Rei, but mostly he just tries to be with her as much as possible.   
> Makoto: Her parents died in a plane crash when she was only a little girl. For a time she lived with a caretaker, but when she was sixteen her parents lawyer agreed that she could live alone. She tends to be a hidden romantic at heart, suffers from a bit of low self-esteem, and thinks she is too big to be pretty.   
> Nephrite: His mother died in childbirth and his father died shortly after of a broken heart. Nephrite lived in an orphanage with the others (including Mamoru for a while) for several years before he was taken by Agate (Beryl's brother) in the second attempt to abduct them. He never had feelings for Naru (sorry shippers) and contrary to even the Manga, was not killed in battle, but secretly put into the endless slumber by Beryl, who told Zoicite he was dead so he would attack the Senshi more fiercely.


	4. Chapter Four: Inspiration Red

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our heroes prepare for the battle to defeat Beryl and Metalia. A few surprises come their way, and each of the girls comes to terms with the change in their lives in her own way.

**Under the Red Moon**   
_ Sailor Senshi Mini Bang 2020 _   
**Chapter Four** **  
** **Inspiration Red**

* * *

_ ***Makoto*** _

Makoto held tight to Nephrite’s arm, which was wrapped around her waist as he stood behind her. She wasn’t sure what would happen next, but they had all gathered close and she was willing to listen. Still, if she could have, she would have wrapped all her friends in cotton and put them somewhere safe and hidden. 

“What kind of plan does Beryl have?” Usagi asked. Makoto’s eyes fell on her friend, who looked as though she was impatient for the fight to come. 

“As far as we can tell, she’s trying to repurpose Zoicite’s crystal to create some sort of vacuum that will work on the energy of any living thing. She has no idea if it will work, and if it does work, she has no clue how far it’s reach is.” Mamoru’s voice was far too calm for what he was saying. 

“So we could be talking about a misfire or the end of the world,” Rei muttered. “That doesn’t give us a lot to go on.” 

“Or a lot of time,” Kunzite added. “What can we do?”

“Maybe I could use my Crystal to counter the energy,” Usagi suggested, frowning. 

Makoto didn’t like the idea at all. “No!” she yelled, echoed by the other girls and Mamoru. The four who had just been rescued stayed silent. Makoto turned to glare at Nephrite over her shoulder. 

“Don’t look at me like that Mako,” he said softly. “She just rescued and healed me. As far as I’m concerned, Beryl should be running.” 

“She’s the Princess,” Zoicite said, shrugging, from his place next to Ami. “Besides, I don’t think the plan will rest entirely on her shoulders.” 

Mamoru growled loudly enough for all of them to hear. Kunzite slapped him on the shoulder. “Have faith in her,” was all he said. 

“She has my vote,” Jadeite echoed. 

“Wait! Wait, please,” Luna said, pacing from one side of the rock to the other. “I have faith in Usagi as well, but I don’t think this can be done with one Crystal. The focus would be too strong and it would drain your life energy. We need several more Crystals working in conjunction with yours. I have an idea, but before I can say more I need to do a little research. Can you wait until we reach the command center?” 

“Hai,” Usagi said, looking slightly relieved. Makoto realized she hadn’t entirely wanted to go into danger. “Let's go to the crown. I could use a milkshake and a few minutes to think.” 

Rei snorted. “You, thinking?” she joked. 

Usagi stuck out her tongue and pulled down the lid of one eye with her hand. Makoto watched in fascination and realized something she had missed for a long time. Rei and Usagi were covering for one another. When one of them was upset, the other would start the most ridiculous argument possible. She would have to watch a little more carefully. 

“Where is this command center?” Nephrite whispered in her ear, making Makoto shiver. 

“Under the Crown. It’s an arcade,” she explained at his confused look. “Come on. I’ll show you.” 

“I’m sorry about your parents,” Nephrite said, taking her hand as they followed the others out of the practice field. 

Makoto watched Rei run to her grandfather then hurry back to Jadeite before she answered. “I’m sorry about yours,” she said. “It’s been so long that sometimes I forget the important things.” 

“I know what you mean,” Nephrite said. “If I didn’t have pictures of my mother I wouldn’t remember her face.” 

“I miss the sound of my mother singing, and my father laughing,” Makoto said, glad that someone understood, and was willing to listen, though she wished Nephrite hadn’t lost his own parents. She decided to change the subject as they climbed down the long steps from the jinja. “I can bring you to my apartment and hide you there. I can’t take all four of you though. Maybe two.” 

“Don’t worry,” Minako said, having overheard. “I can keep the other two at my place. Since my parents are still in England, it gets a lot easier to keep a secret. And there is always Mamoru. ” 

“How soon can we get married,” Nephrite asked, startling Makoto, who wasn’t quite sure how everything had changed so quickly. And what if he wasn’t so excited about if after the red moon had passed? 

“I don’t know,” she answered. “After this battle is over at least,” she said, not willing to set an exact time and date. That would be too much pressure. She had just gotten him back. Marriage was less important than that. 

They turned onto the block with the Crown and Nephrite gasped as he caught sight of the building. “I know this place! I’ve been here before.” He turned back to Makoto. “Well I hope this battle is over soon. The quicker we stop Beryl, the quicker I get to call you wife.” 

Makoto grinned up at him, but inside she was feeling more anxious than she had in a very long time. 

* * *

_ ***Minako*** _

Kunzite and Minako held hands as they walked down the street toward the Crown. Minako had been surprised when Kunzite said he knew the place, but considering how closely she and the other girls had been linked all these years without meeting each other, she shouldn’t have been. It turned out Kunzite and the others, including Mamoru, had spent time in the same orphanage, and had known each other then. 

“Are you well?” Kunzite asked, his fingers squeezing hers gently. 

“Hai,” Minako replied automatically. “There are things I worry about of course, but I think we will make it through this. I still don’t know what Luna is thinking of, but she’s smart. She and Artemis will figure it out.” 

Kunzite stared at her for a long moment and then shook his head. “You’re better at that in this life,” he said softly, turning his head to watch a passing pedestrian dressed as an anime character. 

“At what?” Minako asked, confused. 

“Hiding your feelings.” 

Minako wasn’t sure what he was talking about. She was as she had always been, in the last life, and in this. Everything was completely fine. She had saved Kunzite and they would save the city, again. What could be wrong? 

“Even from yourself, I’m thinking,” Kunzite continued. “I can almost feel the pain swirling around me, but you say nothing.” 

“What are you talking about?” Minako asked, feeling even more confused. 

“You told us all we could stay at your house because your parents still live in England,” Kunzite said softly. 

“Hai,” Minako agreed, automatically shifting away from those thoughts. It was too hard to think about her family, and what was wrong with them. They had been so different since the move, and it hurt too much to think about everything she missed. 

“Why are they in England?” he pressed. 

“They didn’t want to come back,” Minako said, trying to appear casual. 

“Why?” Kunzite asked, tugging her to a stop. She peered at the others, who also stopped, looking confused. Kunzite realized they had an audience. He looked to Mamoru. “Could you go on without us? We will catch up.” 

“Keep her safe,” Mamoru ordered, as though it was the most normal thing in the world. Minako rolled her eyes. 

“With my life,” Kunzite responded just as seriously. If Minako hadn’t been upset about her parents, she might have hit him. She certainly wasn’t some damsel in distress. 

When the others were gone, Minako stared at the grey sidewalk beneath her feet. Kunzite already saw too much. She wasn’t about to make it easy on him. She wasn’t even sure why she was feeling so petulant. 

“Tell me Mina,” Kunzite said, and his voice was so soft and kind that tears sprang to her eyes. “Tell me what is wrong, and I can help you fix it.” 

“I don’t know,” she admitted, not sure why she was answering him. 

Gentle fingers traced her chin and lifted until Minako had no choice but to look into those intense silver eyes, so full of a love and devotion she couldn’t begin to describe. How could he love her? She wasn’t worthy of a man as strong and proud as Kunzite. She watched in slow motion as Kunzite ran the back of his hand over her cheek. She could see the blonde hairs on his arms, the corded veins in his hands, and the roughened patches of skin where the hilt of his sword had caused calluses. 

“Mina, you are the other half of my soul. Your pain is mine to share, as mine is yours. Please, let me take the burden for a moment of time. It is my duty as your husband, as your soulmate, as your friend.” 

Stupid tears slid down Minako’s cheeks. She hated to show weakness, but for him, as for Usagi, she could show her sorrow. “They changed,” she explained. “It was almost the moment we got on the plane. Suddenly my mother was online, shopping. My father pulled out his computer and spent the entire flight focusing on increasing his stock portfolio. They’d never been like that before. I think they were affected by something, but I don’t know what it is, or how to fight it. I’ve been searching at the airport for a Youma, but I’ve found nothing.”

“Shadar,” Kunzite murmured. “He was created before our time. He needs no food, water, or energy. His ability is to force a sin on people. Over time it grows stronger and stronger until the compulsion is so strong the person infected starts taking greater and greater risks. How long ago were they infected?” 

“Months,” Minako answered, more worried than ever. 

“That isn’t possible,” Kunzite said, staring at her. 

“It was months ago,” Minako argued. 

“Then your parents are stronger than anyone else Shadar has come across. They must have royal blood in their veins. Most become so irrational that they die within weeks. How have they not?” 

“I didn’t see any big risk-taking,” Minako said. “I speak to my parents at least once a week since I came back to Tokyo. My mother is redecorating our house in England, and my father is working constantly, but they’ve been like that since the beginning.” 

“I would bet they have deep Venusian and Lunarian roots then,” Kunzite said, shaking his head. “I didn’t think it was possible to fight a sin so long.” He was silent for a long moment. “We will help Artemis with his plan, and then you and I will bring your parents to Usagi. She can heal them.” 

“She can?” Minako asked, surprised. She hadn’t even considered it, though she had seen her heal the last of the Crystal Carriers. 

“She healed us,” Kunzite said. “The taint of Metalia’s soul is much stronger than what Shadar can do.” 

“Perhaps all of us have underestimated her,” Minako murmured, a little disappointed in herself. “I didn’t want to get her involved because I was afraid she would be hurt.” 

“Trust the Princess,” Kunzite said softly. “Her love is her strength. She will surprise us all, I think.” 

“Even you?” Minako asked. 

“Even me.” Kunzite looked into her eyes, his own penetrating through the barriers she had built to protect her heart. “I won’t underestimate you though, my Venusian princess.” 

Then Minako was in his arms, which were tight around her waist as he kissed her breathless. She melted into him, a piece of her tattered soul healing at the connection. It would not be fully healed until they had reforged the Bond, but for now, just being near him soothed the wound. 

“I love you Mina,” Kunzite said, his voice a silky-smooth murmur in her ear. “I want you to be my wife again.” 

“I will be,” she promised, grunting in protest as his arms tightened. 

“Soon,” he asked softly. 

“Let’s save my parents before we ask them to agree to a wedding,” Minako laughed. 

“Just say you’ll agree,” Kunzite pressed. 

Minako mentally rolled her eyes. Already he was pressuring her. He had been known to get a bit obsessive about her in their last life, and it looked as though that hadn’t changed. She remembered one meeting with a Venusian merchant where her husband had stormed into the room, thrown her over his shoulder, and walked right back out, punching the poor merchant on his way. She had broken a vase over his head, but it hadn’t even slowed him down. 

“The moment my parents say yes, I will agree to marry you.” When he continued staring at her, Minako sighed. “I promise by the light of Selene that the very moment my hand is free to be given I will take the vows.” 

Kunzite let out a happy whoop and swung her around on the sidewalk. “Thank you,” he whispered, and then his hot lips were over hers and Minako couldn’t remember so much as her own name for a time. 

* * *

_ ***Rei*** _

Rei and Jadeite walked into the Crown Game Center just behind Mamoru and Usagi, who were holding hands. As soon as the bell jangled, Motoki looked up from his place at the counter and his eyes fell on his best friend. Rei watched in fascination as the teen dropped the towel he had been holding and pressed both hands over his stomach, looking as though he might actually cry, or get sick. 

Tugging on Jadeite’s sleeve, she pulled him to one of the tables that lined the wall of windows overlooking the street. “Wait,” she said softly. 

“Why?” Jadeite asked, irritating her. She knew he was merely curious, but it sounded as though he was questioning her judgement and she hated that. 

“It’s Mamoru’s best friend,” Ami answered when Rei didn’t speak. “Mamoru has been sort of missing for weeks. We told people he was suddenly called out of town for a family emergency, but Motoki didn’t buy it. He knew Mamoru had no family.” 

“He does now,” Zoicite murmured. “Four cousins,” he grinned at Jadeite. “And we get someone else to prank,” he added. 

“Yup,” Jadeite lifted onto his toes, grinning wildly at Mamoru, who had his back turned to them as he stared at Motoki. “Right now though, all I can think about is real food.” 

Rei, who wasn’t feeling all that happy at the moment, turned to see Luna and Artemis slipping through the hidden entrance. No one even seemed to notice the game system moving, or that cats disappearing. She wondered how they did that. Letting go of Jadeite’s sleeve, she followed them, less interested in the weird non-observations of the kids in the arcade than in escaping another emotional scene. 

She was halfway down the steps into the secret base when she felt Jadeite’s hand wrap around her own. Pretending to brush the hair back from her face, Rei loosened his grip and put her hands into her pockets. It wasn’t that she wasn’t excited to see him and know he was safe, but now that he was, what did that mean for her? 

“Alright, something is wrong,” Jadeite said, moving to stand next to her at the bottom of the stairs. “What did I do?” 

Confused, Rei looked up at him, hating that he was so much taller and stronger than she was. “What are you talking about?” she asked. 

Jadeite growled, making Rei take a step back as fear crawled up her spine. She didn’t know what to do. It felt like the whole world was collapsing around her. There was no way out. It was suddenly too hot and Rei couldn’t get a deep breath. It felt like her own skin was choking her. She rubbed unconsciously at her neck. When Jadeite took a step toward her, the fear got the best of her and she squeaked like a mouse, shrinking in on herself until she was huddled under one of the computer terminals. 

“Rei? What is it?” Jadeite asked. 

Rei couldn’t find the words to tell him he was too close. She couldn’t breathe. The room was closing in and she had no escape. She didn’t want to be hurt. She wanted to go home.  Gentle hands touched Rei’s and a soft voice spoke words she couldn’t recognize. Then there was icy cold all along her hands and the back of her neck. 

“You’re safe Rei,” Jadeite’s voice was soft and soothing. “No one will ever hurt you when I’m around. I would never hurt you. I would kill myself before ever hurting you again. I’m so sorry we were taken. So sorry we were turned against you. Usagi said she thinks she can stop it from happening again.” 

Looking into those devastated eyes, Rei found a courage she didn’t know she had. “I’m not afraid of you,” she admitted. “Well, not really you.” 

“What are you afraid of?” Jadeite asked, his hand on hers a feather-light touch. “I’ll keep you safe, whatever it is.” 

Rei sighed. “You can’t turn back time,” she said. “I wish you could, but since that isn’t possible, lets just take it one day at a time.” 

“Can you tell me what I did that upset you so I don’t do it again?” 

Rei gave a bitter laugh. How had she gotten a man so perfect, and so unknowing? “There is nothing you did,” she explained, squeezing his hand. “It wasn’t even really you that got to me. It was a memory of something someone else did. I’m sorry.” 

“Tell me about it?” he asked, and his words were so casual, Rei didn’t hesitate. He was the other half of her soul. She couldn’t very well lie to him, and even if she could, she wasn’t sure she wanted to. Besides, if she was brave enough to get married, which she wanted desperately, she would have to tell him. 

“Four months ago, just after I became Sailor Mars, I went to a party. I was attacked and forced by the son of a very wealthy and powerful man. There was nothing my father could do when he found out, because even as powerful as he is, he is nothing compared to this other man who is friends with both the emperor and the prime minister. So, we kept silent about it. My father promised he would never ask me to go to another party, so that’s that.” 

Jadeite was quiet for a long moment. Rei’s hand heated under his and she knew he was barely controlling his powers, which were linked to her own. She hated telling him so abruptly, but he had to know, and soon, before she messed everything up because she wasn’t the same as she had been before. 

“I’m sorry that happened to you,” Jadeite said softly. He squeezed her fingers gently. “Rei, I could just kill him for hurting you, but I need to know what you need from me. Do you want me to give you space, or do you want me to stay close and chase away the monsters?” 

Rei couldn’t help the watery laugh. “A little of each, depending on the moment, I think,” she answered. His answer was so like him. Instead of flying off and killing the guy, he asked what she wanted. He had always been the kindest man she’d known in either life. 

“I’m assuming the girls know,” he said softly. 

“They do. Usagi helped me. I was always so angry, and I took it out on her, but she just kept coming back. One night we got into a stupid argument and I blurted out that she would never understand. She just threw her arms around me and said she already knew. I still don’t know how she figured it out, but she just held my hand and let me talk. And when I start to get really upset for no reason she does something silly so we can have one of our little arguments.”

“And the other girls?”

“I told them too. They don’t know everything, like she does, but they know enough to help me.” 

“I’m glad you found each other,” Jadeite said. Then he met her eyes. “Can I hug you?” he asked. It was the most perfect thing anyone had said to her since it had happened. She opened her arms and moved into his lap, where he held her close. “No one will ever hurt you like that again,” he said. “Not with all of us to have your back.” 

“Thank you Jed,” Rei said seriously, looking up into those expressive eyes. He had such pain of his own, and yet he had put that aside for her. “You won’t ever be alone either,” she promised. 

Jadeite chuckled. “It will be two years until you are eighteen,” he reminded her. 

“Yes, but I’m sure grandfather will find work for you at the Jinja. You would like Yuichiro. I think he used to have a crush on me, but he’s been mooning after a shrine maiden who came to visit last month.” 

“Good,” Jadeite whispered. 

Rei knew he wanted to kiss her. She also knew he wouldn’t ask. Not after what she had just told him. As annoying as it was that a conversation like that had to be one of their first, Rei was glad it was over, and that he knew. Still, she wanted a kiss just as much as he did. 

Shifting in his lap, Rei managed to sit upright, straddling his legs. Then she took his face in both hands and slowly moved her lips closer to his. She could feel him straining under her, almost begging for her lips. It made her feel powerful, sexy, and beautiful. She could manage a kiss, if she was in control at least. So she leaned in further and stole his lips, kissing him as though it was their last, instead of their first. When they finally parted, Rei was panting and it felt as though she could fly. 

“Marry me,” Jadeite said, then coughed. “I mean, uh…” he trailed off, cheeks pink, and looked down as though he couldn’t meet her eyes. 

Rei laughed. “Okay,” she said, laughing again when he looked up at her, confused and startled. “I know what I want,” she admitted. “And I have every intention of getting it.” 

“What do you want?” Jadeite asked. 

“You. And a couple kids that look just like you,” she added, giggling. “I won’t let that boy steal what I want away from me,” she was determined not to let him win. “I’ve always wanted to be a wife and mother. I’ve dreamed about you for so long, and I’m not letting you go now.” 

* * *

_ ***Usagi*** _

Usagi gulped as she stared at Motoki, who still hadn’t moved after what felt like an hour. Guiltily, she swiped the sweat on her palm off on the school skirt she still wore. She took a very slow step forward. Then another, and another. Mamoru, still holding her other hand in a tight grip, followed after, a slight drag on her forward momentum as he was obviously unsure what to say to his friend. 

Just as they reached the counter, Motoki seemed to shake himself out of his stupor. He looked around as though searching for escape, before waving his hand towards the long hallway that led from the gaming area into the bathrooms and break room. 

“Come on,” Mamoru whispered, and he followed Motoki, who still hadn’t spoken. 

Usagi wished she could just sink into the floor. She hated that she had lied to Motoki, and that he had been so worried about his best friend for so long. It must have hurt his feelings to see Mamoru with her before he’d gone to see the teenager who was practically his brother. She wasn’t sure what she could say to make it better. 

The hallway seemed to stretch on into eternity, but all too soon they were in the breakroom and Motoki slammed the door closed behind them. Usagi braced herself to be yelled at, but instead Motoki threw his arms around Mamoru and started laughing and crying at the same time. The odd reaction was startling for both the newcomers, who looked at each other for any idea what they might do, but neither had been expecting this. 

“I thought you were dead,” Motoki said, growling suddenly. “Why did you go and get yourself caught?” Then he punched Mamoru on the arm before releasing him and letting out a shaky breath. “You can’t do that to me!” he yelled, waving his arms wildly. “Do you have any idea how worried I was?” 

Then, suddenly, Motoki turned his glare on Usagi. She took a step back against the force of his gaze. “What did you do? I bet you put yourself in danger on purpose, didn't you?” he asked. 

“Nani?” Usagi asked, confused. 

“How did you steal him back?” Motoki said, slowing his words as though talking to someone in shock, or who wasn’t very bright. 

“I don’t think I understand,” Usagi murmured, trying to figure him out. 

“Did you go to the dark kingdom to save him?” Motoki clarified. “Oh no, you aren’t evil now too, are you?” he asked, backing away with both hands up. Then he laughed and shook his head. “No. You aren’t evil.”

“Just confused,” Usagi muttered, earning a raised eyebrow and a wink from Motoki, who seemed to completely relax.

“You know?” Mamoru asked. Usagi stared at him, then back at Motoki, still not entirely sure what was happening.

“Of course I know!” Motoki snapped. “How do you think no one ever caught you, dumbass?” 

“What do you mean?” Mamoru asked. 

Motoki gave a bitter laugh. “Did you really think no one would figure you out? Honestly, between the four of us, we’ve barely kept your secrets intact all these months. And now, what?” 

“Four of you?” Mamoru asked. “There are four people who know?” 

Motoki snorted angrily and pointed to Usagi. “Probably more. That cat of hers can’t seem to help herself. Whenever Sailor Moon is in danger she forgets and calls her Usagi.” 

“Oh,” Usagi murmured. 

He shrugged. “You, I figured out about the time you actually became Sailor Moon. It wasn’t hard to figure it out, especially considering that your best friends were always in danger and you went rushing off to save them. They aren’t stupid, and neither am I.” He shook his head at Usagi. 

“And you!” He turned back to Mamoru. “You don’t come to your best friend when you suddenly start turning into a caped hero?” 

“How did you figure it out?” 

“Her.” Motoki tilted his chin at Usagi. “You’re so in love with her it was easy. You moon after her constantly, and so did Tuxedo Kamen after Sailor Moon. And then there is the fact that whenever she left in a rush, a minute later you would get that worried look and rush out after her. I don’t get why you try to pretend you hate each other, but if we can figure it out, so can those dark general people.”

“Who is we?” Usagi asked, shaking now. Luna had said anyone who knew their secret was in danger. 

“Right now, that I know of, Naru, Umino, and your cousin Haruki, but he’s about half sure your brother figured it out too and Naru thinks your teacher suspects.” He shook his head. “That doesn’t matter right now. What matters is how you got him back.” 

Two could play this game, Usagi thought. She grinned. “He kidnapped me. And after Minako and I healed them and we rescued the dark generals we brought them here.” 

The door creaked open behind Usagi before Motoki could respond. She turned, half ready to transform, to find Naru grinning at her. “I saw the girls,” she said happily, as though the world hadn’t just turned on its head. “Glad you saved their husbands. That Kunzite,” she shook her head. “He was already talking about wedding dresses. I swear he’s a fast one. You’ll have to keep an eye on him or he’ll have her married with half a dozen kids before you can blink.” 

“Who are you, and what have you done with my best friend?” Usagi asked, then giggled and threw her arms around her friend. “You aren’t mad?” she asked, still worried. 

“No,” Naru whispered. “I knew you were just trying to protect me. Besides, I always worried about you. Now I know you can protect yourself.” 

Usagi rolled her eyes. “How long have you known?” 

“Since your first night. Luna,” she added, rolling her eyes and flipping back her shoulder-length auburn hair. “But you gave yourself away too. You knew my name. And a week later you saved Umino, so he figured it out then.” 

Usagi wasn’t sure what to say. She would have to speak to Luna. How many times had the cat called her name? And how many others knew her secret? 

“If you two don’t mind,” Mamoru said, looking back and forth between Naru and Motoki, “there is something Usagi and I really need to take care of. An attack is planned on the city, and we aren’t sure when it is set to start.” 

“What can we do to help?” Naru asked.

“Do you need anything?” Motoki asked. 

“For the moment, nothing,” Mamoru said, but Usagi put a hand on his arm to stop him. Perhaps he didn’t understand. Their friends needed to know they wouldn’t be cut out of things completely. They might not be able to fight, but there was plenty they could do to help. 

“Actually,” Usagi said, looking at Naru, “I was hoping you could find out who else knows our secret. We need to know. And maybe later Artemis can get you some communicators. Motoki, we need to get into the base, which is under the arcade. We need to make sure no one is paying attention to us when we go inside. And if you can keep an eye out for anything strange and warn us if anything changes it would help. Maybe check the news.” 

“You’ve got it,” Motoki said. 

Naru nodded as well. She gave Usagi one last, hurried hug, and went back into the main part of the Crown. When she was gone, Motoki gave Usagi a hug, punched Mamoru on the shoulder, and grabbed a box of cups off one of the shelves before following after. 

Usagi bowed her head and thanked the Kami for her friends, who hadn’t yelled at her or acted like she was suddenly different. She was glad they had stayed safe for so long, but she thought she would have to talk to Ami about making monitors for them to carry. 

“You okay Usako?” Mamoru asked, his tone so soft Usagi almost missed the new name. 

She peered up at him, both pleased and surprised. “I’m alright,” she said. “Worried about how we can keep so many people safe. This just got out of hand. We have a city to save, a queen to defeat, and we all have school tomorrow.” 

Mamoru let out a heavy breath. “I hadn’t even thought about school yet,” he said softly. “I suppose I’ve lost my scholarship by now.” 

Usagi shook her head. “We told them your aunt and uncle died,” she explained. 

“That was smart,” Mamoru’s brow furrowed as he spoke. “You were planning to save Kunzite too, weren’t you?” 

“Hai. As soon as we remembered our past I decided I had to save you both. Then just before you found us today Minako said Rei had been dreaming about being in a tube looking out at Zoicite and Nephrite. As soon as she said it, I knew they were alive. I’m so very glad. I don’t know what I would have done otherwise.” 

“I don’t either,” Mamoru said softly. “Come on, we have a meeting to get to.” 

Usagi hid her disappointment. She’d hoped he would kiss her, but he didn’t. He was a perfect gentleman when he took her hand again and led her back out of the break room. Soon they were through the secret entrance and standing in the middle of the secret base. 

Minako and Kunzite were looking at one of the screens, Minako holding Artemis in her arms, though it was clear he wanted to be in control of the computer. Luna was talking to Ami and Zoicite, who both looked worried. Nephrite and Jadeite were sparring in an alcove with a weapon that looked like a dagger with two blades. Rei and Makoto were working through the steps of Makoto’s newest attack, which she still wasn’t confident about. 

“Do you have any ideas yet?” Mamoru asked, looking at Artemis. 

“I think I might have a way to save the city, but you might not like it,” Artemis said. “I think we should bring back the Crystal Carriers.” 

* * *

_ ***Ami*** _

“No!” The shout came from Usagi, who immediately moved to stand before Artemis. 

Ami held back, staying near Luna as she watched in stunned silence. She was feeling the same fear Usagi had racing through her. Those people had already been through too much. Several were their friends. Like Ryo. The only boy who had ever liked Ami. 

Except for her soulmate. 

Peering from the corner of her eye, Ami took in Zoicite, still amazed that he was alive and so near her. Still, she wasn’t sure exactly how to react to him. Lost in thought, Ami forgot about the conversation and focused on the look of pain around Zoicite’s eyes and mouth. He was still hurting somehow, though she knew Mamoru had healed him. 

“Ami, back me up here,” Usagi said, grabbing her hand. 

“Huh? What?” Ami blinked at Usagi for a long moment before bringing herself back to the present. “Artemis, I think there is another way.” 

“Tell me,” Artemis said, his voice hard. 

“Many points of sight,” Ami answered, grabbing a sheet of paper from the long conference table they had rarely used. She took out a pen and drew a pentacle over the paper, then circled the tip of each circle. “We need to create a barrier around Tokyo. Mamoru and Usagi would be at the point of the star, while each pair of soulmates takes one of the other points. As long as we can see one another from our positions, we can share our powers. But it involves doing some pretty advanced magic first. Something that couldn’t be done in our past lives.”

“What?” Usagi asked, bouncing on the tips of her toes. “Tell me.” 

“A soul-link.” 

“Really?” Mamoru said, stepping forward, a look of intense concentration on his face as he stared at her. “Do you think Usagi and I are really that couple?” 

“What are you talking about?” Jadeite asked. 

“We are,” Usagi said. “I know we are. My mother once told me we were the first and the last, so we must again be the first and the last.” She turned to Luna. “You have it, don’t you?” 

“I have the book Usagi-chan,” Luna said, her voice shaking. “I don’t think you know what you are getting yourselves into however. It isn’t as strong as the Soul-Bond, but nearly so. Be certain.” 

“I don’t understand,” Jadeite announced, stepping into the tight circle that had formed around Ami. The others turned to her to explain. It had been her idea, and she knew enough to give the basic premise, so she took a deep breath and told him. 

“Do you remember the story of the First Senshi?” she asked Jadeite. 

“Hai. They first came to be shortly after Metalia came to the solar system. She turned the minds of nearly all the humans, but several, who had visited the world of dreams, and their friends and family who followed them showed their gifts through wishes of a selfless nature. The very first Serenity and Endymion fell in love, but faced a great battle. Lugh, who is Haruki’s former self, and Tsukiyomi, Shingo’s former self, both watched them get married and prayed for a bond that would strengthen them in the coming battle. They wanted them to be assured the other was alright, and to share their strength and powers as needed. They also found wives of incredible strength and formed their own Soul-Bonds.” Jadeite smiled at Rei before continuing. 

“Then, as they were readying for battle, the First Lugh made another wish, so that he could be assured his brother was safe, and his friends. The group, who became the First Senshi, Shitennou, and Hogosha (AN: See Bottom of Chapter for further explanation), formed another bond. It wasn’t the same as the Soul-Bond, but it linked their souls together, giving them a special form of protection. None could be turned evil without all others in the Link becoming evil in the very same moment, and since no two people could be broken at the same rate, none in the Link were ever turned. They were able to sense one another, even speak to each other in a form similar to that of the Soul-Bond, and they were able to share their strength.” Jadeite finished speaking, his voice still holding a deep well of reverence for the First, as they all did, though their souls were only those souls reborn. 

“That Soul Link is what I am talking about. With that in place, we could raise a barrier over the city. And if each of us accesses our own Crystal, we can bounce the energy from one to another, forming a link that can’t be broken.”

“I think,” Zoicite came over to the table and pointed to the hexagon-like shape at the center of the star, “that if the women were at the outer points, with us at the inner points, we can create a stronger center. It would raise a focal point into the sky. If only we had one more active Crystal. I wish we had a center point.” 

“Good,” Haruki said. He and Shingo were standing on the stairs. Haruki, with his bright auburn hair and vivid green eyes played an interesting contrast to Shingo’s dirty-blonde hair and blue eyes. Haruki was Usagi and Shingo’s cousin, the son of their aunt, who had died during his childhood. He was of an age with Mamoru, but in personality was closer to Usagi. 

Haruki continued as he walked down the steps. “But I think two would be better. Put Usagi and Mamoru in the middle. Shingo and I can take two points.” 

“How did you know?” Usagi asked, looking at Shingo with wide eyes. Shingo was three years younger than Usagi, and she was extremely protective of him. Ami was feeling nauseous at just the thought of him in battle. He could be so quiet, and was teased for his intelligence sometimes, just as Ami had been before meeting Usagi. 

Shingo snorted. “Luna was yelling at you. Then I realized Haruki knew too. For a few days now I’ve been dreaming about Hotaru, and last night I just remembered things I hadn’t remembered before. I woke up transformed into Tsukiyomi, then changed to Blue Moon Knight. It was a bit crazy.” 

“And I remembered Setsuna,” Haruki added. “And who I am. When Naru said you were planning something big, I grabbed Shingo and we hurried over. Let us help.” His eyes were pleading, as were Shingo’s. Ami didn’t think Usagi would agree, but she finally nodded her head. 

“Mom and dad think Motoki is doing another game night,” Shingo said. “That gives us until about ten. Do you think we can finish by then?” 

“If not, Luna can help,” Usagi said. Then she moved forward and pulled her brother into her arms. “I need a bit to come to terms with this. And Mamoru and I need to read the book again. It’s short, but I want to be sure.” 

“Take your time,” Haruki answered. “These guys can fill us in.” 

Ami felt Zoicite tug on her hand, which Usagi had freed when she’d moved. She followed him away from the group and over to a small couch on the wall by the stairs. “You alright?” he asked. 

“I think so. Are you? You look like you’re hurting.” 

Zoicite let out a soft sigh and pulled her into his lap, resting his head on her shoulder. “I am, a little,” he confessed. “Don’t tell Mamoru just yet,” he added when she prepared to rise. “All of us have some pain. It probably won’t go away until our Bonds are reforged. Metalia’s presence tore at our souls, even worse than they were torn in our last lives. That cannot be completely healed through magic. Some of it comes from inside us, and some comes from reuniting with our wives.” 

“Zo, it’s too much for you to go and fight if you are in pain.” 

“It’s a pain we deserve for failing all of you in our last lives, and in this.” 

“Bullshit,” Ami said, then covered her mouth with both hands in surprise. She didn’t swear, and certainly not in English. 

Zoicite let out a small chuckle, but Ami had more to say. She shook herself out of her shock and grabbed his hands. “We knew, didn't we Zo? We knew that we would fail in our past lives, though not how. We knew we would be met with a choice, and we chose to face our fate. Now we get a second chance to protect the solar system from Metalia’s evil. This time we will be prepared.” 

“How could I have been blessed with a Soulmate such as you. You are my perfect match.” Zoicite kissed her nose. 

“Silly,” Ami grumbled, then giggled when Zoicite moved his lips across her cheek to her neck. Soon he had her grinding into him. 

“Enough you two!” Kunzite said, suddenly appearing beside them. “We have a battle to face. This is not the time for your foolishness. Zoicite, until you have her mother’s permission for a wedding, you are not to be alone with Ami.” 

“That’s not fair!” Zoicite yelled, obviously upset. 

“You can’t do that!” Ami added, just as angry. 

“I can, and I will, unless I have your word that you will do nothing to reforge the Bond until you are married!” Kunzite’s face was pale with anger. “You will show your wife, and her family, the proper respect!” 

Zoicite’s face flushed a deep red, but he nodded. Very gently he helped Ami to her feet, then knelt and bowed his head to Ami, who placed her hand on his head in proper respect for such a promise. “My oath. I will not betray the trust my lady places in me with harm. I will protect her, mind, body, and soul, from every hand, my own included. On my life, you have my word.” 

“Now you,” Minako said, appearing at Kunzite’s side. She gave Ami a level look that wasn’t entirely necessary. She knew her own responsibilities. When Kunzite nodded for Zoicite to rise, Ami knelt before him and waited for his hand on her own head. “My oath. I will not betray the trust my lord places in me with harm. I will protect him, mind, body, and soul, from every hand, my own included. On my life, you have my word.”

“Good,” Minako said. “I think Usagi and Mamoru are ready to begin.” 

“So soon?” Ami asked, worried now. She felt it should be studied more thoroughly. 

“You know Usagi works on instinct,” Minako reminded her. “Don’t worry, they’ve got this.” 

“We all do,” Zoicite added, taking her hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. “And when we’re done, we need to have a talk with your mother.” 

Ami swallowed heavily. She hadn’t told Zoicite everything yet. Like the way her father had walked out and disappeared without a trace. Would Zoicite stay with her? If her own father didn’t love her enough to stay, would Zoicite?

“Forever,” he whispered, as though he could read her mind. Ami swallowed and followed Minako and Kunzite back into the main part of the room, where Mamoru and Usagi were sitting on the floor, kneeling. What would they do? 

“Wait!” There was a flurry of activity on the stairs and Haruki suddenly reappeared with a young woman at his side. She had green hair, part pulled into a bun that flowed into the rest, in a long wave down her back. Her reddish-brown eyes held a wisdom and sadness that felt like a physical weight. 

“Setsuna,” Ami breathed, able to remember the Senshi who protected Time itself. She had always idolized the older girl. 

Behind Haruki and Setsuna, Shingo followed with a younger girl who had short black hair. Purple was highlighted in the dark strands as she passed under the light. She clung tightly to Shingo’s hand, as though it was the only thing keeping her from running. Her skin was so pale as to be nearly translucent, her eyes were shadowed with pain, and her legs and arms far too thin. 

“Hotaru,” Zoicite added. 

Behind them came another couple, also holding hands. The two young women both walked with their heads held high, their blue eyes nearly identical in the light of the command center. The shorter wore her aqua hair just past her shoulders. She had perfectly symmetrical features and an air of music seemed to follow her. The other woman, with her short blonde hair slightly spiked, had the look of someone on the edge of movement. She moved like the flowing wind. Both looked sad, as though some great pain had befallen them. 

“Haruka. Michiru,” Ami breathed, almost surprised as she remembered moments with her cousin in both lives. 

Usagi was on her feet in the blink of an eye, and by the time Ami had taken a step, she had one arm around Hotaru, the other around Haruka, already hugging them both. She was laughing and crying as she hugged all four newcomers. She swiped her cheeks and just stared at all of them, smiling. 

Michiru smiled at Haruka, then moved to intercept Ami. “I dreamed of you last night,” she said. “Then, I was led to look in my mirror and saw that you would need me today. As we were coming inside, we saw Hotaru and Setsuna. I don’t know what led them here, but I’m glad they are with us.” 

“Me too,” Ami said, hugging her cousin. “You look upset. What’s wrong?” 

Michiru snorted. “I tried to introduce Haruka to my parents. They kicked me out of the house and said I wasn’t their daughter.” Then she snorted, her eyes hard. “The joke is on them. My last concert was sold out, and I’ve been topping the charts for classical music. I’ve made more in my first year as a performer than they have in all their accounts. They always cared more about money than about me, so they can just sit there and stew.” 

“I’m sorry Michi. Is there anything I can do?” 

Michiru gave a sad little laugh. “Invite us over for holidays?” she asked. 

“You’ve got it, though I have a feeling mom would have anyways.” She frowned. “Are you ready for the Soul-Link? Usagi and Mamoru are going to attempt it.” 

“Then it will be a success,” Michiru said with easy faith. “If they remember a quarter of what they learned in their last lives, it will be more than enough.” 

Haruka approached. Ami hadn’t met her yet in this life and bowed politely. With Zoicite at her back, Ami smiled at the taller woman who was her cousin’s soulmate. She knew Haruka would protect Michiru with her last breath if she had to. Satisfied, she urged them to sit in the circle that was forming. Usagi and Mamoru made their way to the center and knelt again. 

Ami watched in amazement as both Usagi and Mamoru reached to their own chests and pressed a hand to it. When they pulled their hands away a moment later, each held a brilliant, shimmering Crystal. Usagi’s was silver-white, like the light of the moon shining over a still pond. Mamoru’s was golden, like sunlight in waves of grain blowing in the breeze. 

Mamoru held the Golden Crystal out on his palm and Usagi covered it with her hand as she opened her own palm for Mamoru to cover her Silver Crystal. Soon shimmering strands of silver and gold light formed from the crystals, snaking between their fingers and reaching towards each of the warriors circled around them. The glittering threads sunk into Ami, then passed from her to Zoicite, and then into Haruka, who was on his other side. It continued around the circle before moving back to Mamoru and Usagi, then reaching into Zoicite and around the circle. They did this until the circle had both started and stopped with each of the others. 

As the web of lights continued to grow, Ami could feel emotions that were not her own. Slight trepidation from Rei, overwhelming joy from Setsuna, caution from Zoicite, and absolute, unconditional love from Usagi. She could also sense that Shingo was hungry and would probably need to eat before going out to battle.

The three men who had been rescued only a few hours before were all ravenously hungry to the point of actual weakness. Mamoru and Kunzite joined the other three in a clawing pain around the heart that was the remnants of the torn Soul-Bonds mixed with the damage of Metalia’s evil presence. 

As soon as Ami felt the pain from Zoicite, she felt the echoing pain from her own torn Soul-Bond and realized she had felt it all her life, but had been unable to name the cause. There was a part of her that was tattered and torn away. Zoicite’s soul. 

Hotaru was the true surprise however. Ami couldn’t begin to explain why her entire body hurt. There were pains that felt like open wounds on her arms and legs. She wanted to scream at the thought of a young girl living with so much agony. 

As soon as the silver and gold threads of light disappeared, Usagi and Mamoru stood and hurried to the youngest of their group. She clung to Shingo’s hand as they moved toward her and seemed to shrink away from them. Then Usagi knelt in front of her and took the other hand. 

“We can help you,” she said, softly. “We can make the pain stop.” 

“How?” Hotaru looked up at the older teens, worry and hope fighting in her eyes.

“There are metal things in your body,” Mamoru said, crouching down beside Usagi. “I can take them out while Usagi stops the pain, and then I can heal you.” 

“My dad says I’ll die without them,” Hotaru said. 

“You won’t,” Mamoru told her. “Please, let us try.” 

“Hai,” Hotaru whispered. 

Mamoru and Usagi each held one of Hotaru’s hands. Silver light formed around her from Usagi’s magic, tinged with streaks of purple that seemed to be coming from her. Mamoru glowed golden for a second, the mark of earth appearing on his forehead as he released his magic in a wave. Ami watched in fascination as the trio lifted off the floor and Hotaru’s transformation began, without using her transformation wand. The clank, clank, clink of metal hitting the floor sounded for several seconds, and then there was silence as Sailor Saturn’s boots touched the floor and her glaive swung in a perfect arc. When the glaive rose again, Saturn had color in her face, her legs were the healthy muscular legs of a gymnast, and even her hair seemed healthier. 

“Now to battle,” she said in a low voice that seemed ancient and ethereal. A shiver ran up Ami’s spine as she remembered Saturn’s purpose. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Storyline Notes:   
> I know you are probably thinking I should have broken this into two chapters. I seriously considered it, because it was so much longer than the others, but in the end, I had to leave it together so the flow of the story was more seamless. I really can't seem to help myself when it comes to soulmates... I had to bring in all of the Senshi and their counterparts.   
> Also, you may hear the word Hogosha. That is the term used (like an umbrella term) for all warriors in the solar system who are not Senshi or Shitennou, though they also fall under that category. The Hogosha are technically led by Haruki, or Sun Knight, who is Usagi's cousin, though the Senshi have a leader of their own, as do the Shitennou. As for Shingo, I find him to be a perfect counterpoint for Hotaru, who is around the same age in my stories, and needs someone who sees her as she is.   
> As for the First... I've written a story within a story. In the Silver Millennium, Endymion comes across a book that tells the story of their first incarnation, the First Senshi/Shitennou/Hogosha, and how they came to be. It ties in with a prophecy that spans the entire length of the Solar System itself, and another that deals merely with the battle against Metalia. I tell a part of that story here. I have the story on fanfiction, but I don't think I've transferred it to AO3 yet. I do plan to do that soon. 
> 
> Character Notes:   
> Naru: Figured out Usagi’s secret during the OSA-P attack and realized Mamoru’s secret not long after. Has been helping hide their secret without their knowledge. She and Usagi tend to stay close in my stories.   
> Motoki: Figured out both Mamoru and Usagi’s secret right away. Has been helping hide their secret without their knowledge. In my stories, Mamoru and Motoki are best friends, and stay very close throughout.   
> Setsuna - Pluto was found wandering in the park when she was about two years old. She was covered in blood. She grew up in an orphanage, and tends to be shy and reserved.   
> Haruki/Sun Knight - orange-red hair, green eyes. His mother was Ikuko's twin sister, Akiko, who died in an accident when he was young. His father died from cancer and he came to live with his cousins. He is the Soulmate to Setsuna, and is of the royal family of the Sun, also Serenity's cousin Lugh in the time of the Silver Millennium.   
> Hotaru - In my version Hotaru often goes to live with Michiru and Haruka early, which gives her a chance to be a kid for a little while. She does have a soulmate, Shingo, who balances her.   
> Shingo/Blue Moon Knight - Usagi's/Serenity's brother in both lives. Named Tsukiyomi in the Silver Millennium. Keeper of the Scrolls of Life and the Chronicles of the Crystals. Hotaru's soulmate.   
> Michiru - Ami's cousin in both lives, although there is much more to that story. She tells her parents she loves Haruka and is kicked out, causing the pair to move in together.   
> Haruka - Separated from her family since she came out.


	5. Chapter 5: Battle Red

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the battle rages over Tokyo, Metalia appears, woken by the powers of the Crystals. She attacks, making the battle the final stand. While our heroes were prepared for her to launch the attack, they face something they had not expected.

**Under the Red Moon**   
_ Sailor Senshi Mini Bang 2020 _   
**Chapter Five** **  
** **Battle Red**

* * *

_ ***Haruka*** _

Haruka watched as Zoicite and Ami drew a new star, this one seven-peaked. At the center of the star Mamoru and Usagi would stand ready to rebuff the magic of the dark Crystal Beryl planned to use. Privately, she thought with all of them fighting back together, that the battle would be over quickly. Michiru was sitting with Ami and Zoicite, who were both holding pencils and rulers and something Ami called a compass to measure the distances on a map. 

“Look,” Ami said, pointing to the map. “If we use these towers, and these buildings, we should all be able to be within sight of each other. If the Crystals have a clear path, the light and energy can pass between them. We are building two layers of protection for Mamoru and Usagi.”

“With this much energy, we might destroy Beryl,” Usagi said sadly. “I really would like to save her.” 

“Save her?” Kunzite asked. “Do you mean she is a prisoner?” 

“Hai, though I doubt she remembers it,” Usagi said softly. “Metalia can mess with memories.” Her eyes took on a distant look and Haruka realized she was remembering when the men had been turned in their last life. “We were friends, as children. She protected me from that bully.” 

“I remember her too,” Luna said softly. “If we can save her, we will. At the least, if we can find her Crystal, she can be brought somewhere safe and peaceful.” 

“Hai,” Usagi said softly. 

Haruka watched in amazement. This new version of Serenity was so much more open and free with her emotions, and her voice. She had seen her gobble up food like it was the best thing she had ever tasted, and with absolutely no manners. But a moment later she had been helping a small child play a video game. 

It wasn’t what Haruka had expected. Serenity had been far too quiet, and far too removed. Usagi liked to take people by the hand, or hug them suddenly and without warning. She was sweet and kind, as the former princess had been, but there was such joy in her that Haruka was grateful she could see it. 

“Do you see what I see?” Michiru asked.

“She’s happy in this life,” Haruka whispered. “It’s as though she is completely free. Though Mamoru is not the prankster I remember Endymion being.” 

“Setsuna tells me his parents died when he was small. Though Mamoru survived the accident, his memory of them was taken. He lives a life unknowing.” Michiru wiped away a tear. “He is much changed from the wild prince I remember. Those two ran their protectors ragged. Remember when they got themselves kidnapped?” 

“I do,” Haruka couldn’t help but laugh, though it had been anything but funny at the time. 

High King Endymion, the king of the Earth in those days, had received a letter of ransom with Prince Endymion’s Sword and Princess Serenity’s handkerchief. In the end it had all worked out. The Prince and Princess had been rescued, but the secret that the Earth Kingdom was dealing with the people of the Moon had been broken, and had caused many problems. It was an event that eventually catapulted the entire solar system into war. 

“Are you alright?” Michiru asked. 

Haruka nodded. “Today I’m more worried about you. I haven’t even spoken to my parents in a year. Your mom was pretty harsh.” 

Michiru shrugged. “No worse than usual,” she said in a tone that would have fooled anyone but Haruka. 

She pulled Michiru into her arms. “It will be alright,” she said, looking down into those eyes that reminded her of the sea. “We’ll just have to make our own family.” 

Michiru smiled. “We will. But I’m glad I still have Ami and Aunt Saeko.” 

“Me too. The others will help us.” 

“I think we need to talk to Hotaru,” Michiru added, whispering now as they watched Shingo and Hotaru walk side-by-side. She seemed so happy just to walk back and forth across the room. It was such a simple thing, a little pleasure Haruka often took for granted. What must it have been like for her with every step, every breath, so painful? 

“She can’t go back to her father like this, can she?” Haruka asked. 

“No. She will need someone to look after her.” Michiru’s tone lifted in a plea. 

“Yes she will. Someone who would do anything to keep her safe. Someone who will love her and make her happy.” Haruka smiled down at Michiru. “Someone like you.” 

“And you,” Michiru added. 

“And me.” 

“I think we’re ready,” Ami said, gulping. 

“It’s perfect,” Usagi said. Ami didn’t look entirely convinced, but she nodded and stood. 

Haruka grabbed Michiru’s hand and squeezed. If their plan worked it would save the city, but it might also start a battle with a creature that could not entirely die and was nearly impossible to defeat. A creature their former selves had failed to destroy, and their former parents had been unable to conquer. Metalia was older than the Solar System, or so they had been taught. If the final battle came, she wanted nothing left unsaid. 

Turning to Michiru, she spoke softly. “I love you. I’ve loved you since the moment you walked into my life. I want forever. Marry me.” 

“It isn’t legal yet.” 

“It will be. Soon. Marry me?” 

“Yes,” Michiru whispered. Haruka whooped and picked her up by the waist, swinging her around. When both her feet were back on the ground however, Haruka swooped in and kissed her to within an inch of her life. 

Soon they were surrounded by the others, all asking what was happening. She could feel their happiness though the Soul-Link, and for the first time in a very long time, she felt like she could just relax, be herself, and live her dreams. These others understood, and they loved her, them, and would stand by them. She didn’t have to question it. She just knew. 

Ten minutes later, Haruka breathed out a heavy lungful of air as she stared up at the side of a skyscraper. “Be careful,” she whispered to Michiru, who was taking the outer line of the star. “I won’t lose you.” 

“Never,” Michiru responded, then gave her a kiss. 

Haruka waited beside her soulmate in the alley as she closed her eyes and held up her transformation pen. Soon there was a wave of blue light surrounding Sailor Neptune, who gave a beatific smile before stealing a kiss and leaping upwards as though she did this every day. Haruka hated walking away, but she had to get to her own place, transform, and fight a battle with an ancient being bent on revenge and the destruction of the planet, all before Usagi’s curfew at ten. 

Piece of cake. 

* * *

_ ***Haruki*** _

Haruki hadn’t released Setsuna’s hand for more than a heartbeat since he’d seen her walking toward the Crown. It had been so shocking, seeing the woman of his dreams holding little Hotaru by the hand and smiling as though every wish she’d ever had was granted. She’d thrown herself at him, just as Michiru and Haruka had also arrived. Hotaru had grabbed Shingo’s hand and clung to it like he was the only thing keeping her tied to the planet. 

Only half an hour later, in the full dark of the evening, Haruki stood beside Setsuna at the bottom of Tokyo Tower. She had tears brimming in her eyes as she stared at him, and he hated to release her, even for a moment. 

“I can’t lose you,” she whispered, her voice breaking. 

Haruki swallowed hard. “You never will.” 

“I have once,” Setsuna said, the tears spilling over. “Almost twice. I won’t do it again.” 

Haruki pulled her against his chest, resting his cheek on top of her head and rocking from side to side. She had told him of her dream, showing his death as a child, and her eternal life of loneliness before finally sacrificing her life to save the Prince and Princess more than a thousand years in the future. It seemed the most horrible fate he could imagine. Living forever without one’s soulmate was to live half a life. He couldn’t have borne it. 

“I promise you, I won’t leave you, not ever,” he said. The power of his words sank through his hands and he felt the vow warming his skin as it settled over him. “No matter what happens, you will always hear my voice.” 

“I love you,” Setsuna whispered. “I love who you were then, and who you’ve become in this life.” 

“We’re so lucky to have another chance,” Haruki said, “And remember, the prophecy said we would finally defeat her after our rebirth.” 

“Be careful,” Setsuna whispered. 

Then she stepped back and released him, lifting her arm to hold up her transformation pen. Bright light hid her momentary nakedness. Haruki stood staring in awe as she spun slowly before him. She was the most beautiful warrior he had ever seen, and she was his soulmate. He would do anything for her. 

“Be careful,” Haruki murmured, stepping back as she turned and leapt up to the first crossbeam as easily as jumping over a crack in the sidewalk. He kept his eye on her as she scaled the tower, then turned and rushed through the darkness to his own place. 

He and Setsuna were the top point of the star, Shingo and Hotaru the bottom point. It would be up to him and Shingo, who also carried more powerful crystals, to start the focus for Usagi and Mamoru’s crystals to strike back at Metalia. The others would protect the city while they did their best to keep Beryl from sending another attack at their backs. 

Soon he was in the alley behind a massive building that rose above the others in the area. He clutched a red stone shaped like a starburst and closed his eyes. Then he stepped forward, becoming Sun Knight, formerly High Prince Lugh, of the Sun Kingdom, cousin to Serenity, the future High Queen of Silver Millennium and the Solar System. The power of the yellow star filled him. Instantly he pushed it down, knowing the cost of losing control. His tunic was a mix of oranges, reds, yellows, and golds, the colors like individual scales that created strong but flexible armor that was like a second skin. The tunic flowed down over his pants, making his waist look thinner than it was. He didn’t care much for that, but the sword at his hip made him feel better. 

“This had better work,” he muttered as he climbed to his own position. He could see over the whole city. Setsuna was close enough to see, but not to speak to. He stood tall, watching for the signal that Usagi and Mamoru were in place. 

* * *

_ ***Shingo*** _

“You okay Ru?” Shingo asked, staring into the amethyst eyes that had haunted his dreams. She was so pale, so small. It was hard to believe she was the powerful warrior he had seen only a short time before. 

“Hai. I don’t want to be apart,” she whispered. “I know it’s silly, but I feel like I could lose you all over again.” 

“It isn’t silly,” Shingo corrected. “I’m scared too. I guess we just have to take a deep breath and remember that we can feel one another through the Link. I’ll be right there with you.” 

Hotaru threw her arms around his neck and kissed Shingo’s cheek. “I’ll be with you too,” she promised. Then she held up her transformation pen. “Wish me luck.” 

“Good luck, though I don’t think you need it. You’ve got this.” 

“So do you,” she reminded him. Then she transformed. It was like a beautiful dance. Her feet floated above the ground and she spun in a move that reminded Shingo of a ballet dancer. Her glaive lowered almost to the concrete, before swinging up in a smooth arc. 

“Sailor Saturn,” Shingo whispered. He gulped. He hadn’t transformed yet. She made it look easy, but he wasn’t sure he could do it. 

“Grab the scroll Luna gave you,” Saturn reminded him. He took it from his pocket and fisted his hand around the silver pin. “Let the power flow through you and step into the change.” 

Shingo did as she told him, letting the power of the Blue Moon flow through him. It was the power of chance, of healing, and of hope. He felt his clothing melt away and the weight of his sword at his hip. When he looked down he was wearing the silver-blue tunic he had often used during formal occasions on the Moon. Armor rolled out of two pieces high on his shoulders, looking similar to a shirt of chainmail, if it was made of pure silver. It was the mark of his position, the eldest son of the Moon Queen, and the Keeper of the Scrolls of Life. The weight and knowledge of his forebears had not rested on him fully in their last life, but he knew soon he would have to take up that duty. 

“Blue Moon Knight,” Saturn said, then she leaned forward and kissed his cheek again before running past him and leaping up to start climbing the tower behind him. Blue Moon Knight turned to watch her go, waiting until she was safely at the top before he turned to his own position. Soon he was at the top of a building, watching Saturn’s hair flow from a distance, and wondering if his parents would say he was too young to date. 

He glanced up at the moon in the sky. It wasn’t red yet. It would be in only a few nights, but the power of it was flowing through him like an extra boost of energy, and he wondered, for just a moment, if the queen of the Dark of the Moon clan had sent her own children into the future. They were the judges of the Silver Millennium, and the absolute last line of defense for the Moon Kingdom. Somehow, he didn’t think they would appear just yet, but he hoped they would show up soon. They could certainly use the help. 

Blue Moon Knight watched the sky then, looking for the signal. When the silver heart floated into the sky, Shingo was ready. He knew Sailor Moon would be watching for Haruki next and turned his head to make sure his cousin was ready. He could see Sun Knight lift up his hands even in the darkness. The Topaz Sun Crystal glistened in the sky like a distant star. Shingo reached for his chest and pulled forth the Azurite Blue Moon Crystal to meet the magic of the sun. 

* * *

_ ***Michiru*** _

The power of the coming lunar eclipse was strong. Even without a true tie to the blood of the Queens of the Moon, Sailor Neptune could feel the power of it pulling like a wave, drawing her power, and the power of the planet she protected into a spiral that flowed from her to Mercury, who was on the tower to her left, and to Neptune who was a conduit between herself and the future Queen. 

Neptune wasn’t sure when Beryl would strike. The others hadn’t known, except that it would be soon. Still, with the amount of energy currently being woven over Tokyo, the self-named queen would be unable to help herself, not when she was bound to Metalia. The power would draw her like a moth to a flame. She and the others in the outer circle would protect the city while the inner circle would bind Beryl to themselves and keep her from attacking. It was the prince and princess who had the hardest task. They would strike back at Metalia, still trapped in her prison, and attempt to destroy her, or to close up the prison completely. 

She felt the power of Neptune rushing through her body, and the power of the sun, the planets, the earth under the city, the wind over the ocean along the bay, and the power of something so powerful and strong that it almost knocked her over. Hope. It filtered from Sailor Moon out to the others, and she could feel it fill her to the brim until she thought she would fly away if she took a single drop more. 

In the center of their circle, Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen transformed again, becoming their royal selves so seamlessly that for a moment she almost didn’t believe her eyes. She had seen their change, as had every other citizen of Tokyo, on the news the night Mamoru had been taken. This was different. This was a change so swift the eyes took a moment to catch up. 

Serenity held up the Moon Wand, which grew until it was a staff nearly a foot taller than her. Endymion pulled a silver etched sword from his scabbard and lifted the blade over his head. Then he placed the Golden Crystal in the staff. The light of the stars faded against the brilliance of the glow, and Neptune inhaled a shocked breath as a pair of barely visible wings seemed to hover behind the princess for a single breath. 

The two Creation Crystals sent up a spiral of light that filled the sky. Then, moments later, the inner circle of Crystals began to shine just as brilliantly. Neptune inhaled a deep breath as the magic swelled inside her and exploded outward and up. There was a pop of sound, barely audible, and the world erupted into chaos as Beryl, the self-styled queen of the Dark Kingdom appeared in the center of Tokyo, looking directly at Princess Serenity with a malevolent glare and an angry scream. 

“You!” The word was louder than an explosion in the night. 

Princess Serenity didn’t even turn to look at the shriveled queen. Neptune nearly growled in disgust. She was pale and so thin she looked half dead. What had happened to the once beautiful girl? Her long red hair was pulled back over her shoulders until it fell down her back in waves. It was the only thing that remained of the girl she had once been. Even her eyes, once the shimmering red of the Beryl Crystal, were a dark, almost violent red that washed out her face and made her look old. She had become a parody of her former self. She might cling to all the power she held, but it had cost her everything. 

“You stole him from me!” Beryl continued, just as loud and hateful as before. She lifted her arms and sent a wave of dark energy right at Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen. Instinctively, Neptune threw an attack of her own, though she knew it would be too late, and completely unnecessary. With the barrier formed by the Senshi, there was no way the queen could attack the princess. 

* * *

_ ***Setsuna*** _

Sailor Pluto knew that the weave of time that flowed through the scythe in her hand could do damage to the queen hovering over their circle. She couldn’t get through to attack Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen, who had taken on their ancient royal forms to fight the beast Metalia, so she held herself back, but stood ready to attack at a moment’s notice. 

Only moments before Pluto had touched her own chest and pulled the Jet Plutonian Time Crystal from it’s hiding place. She was not skilled in the same way the Prince and Princess were, but the Time Crystal with its many facets had immeasurable strength of it’s own. As the power ran through her from the others in the formation, Pluto felt fire and lightening, the power of death and rebirth, rivers of ice and the waves of the ocean. 

The power was overwhelming. Never in her previous life had she been conduit to so much raw energy. It had been the duty of their mothers to protect the solar system. She and the others had been tasked with learning those skills almost from birth, but it wasn’t the same to control it themselves. 

Pluto wove the power that flowed through her into a dome that stretched over the entire city, the mountain, and the ocean at the coast. Her skin felt like it would burst into flame as she held the magic. It was too much. There seemed to be a way to tie it off, and she wondered if it was possible, but this was not the time to experiment. 

Across the center of Tokyo, Beryl was still screaming, enraged, at the Princess. “Its all your fault! You, spoiled little moon brat, will finally pay for your crimes.” 

Usagi’s pain filtered through the link. The queen’s words were bringing back memories to the younger Senshi. Memories of a girl who had been her friend. The feeling of them came through the bond, though not the memories themselves. She felt the friendship the Princess still remembered like an echo. In this life, Pluto had no friends or even family, and the feeling was strange, like a glove that didn’t quite fit. 

The dome was up, and just in time. Suddenly the skies over Tokyo were filled with strange Youma. Some flew, others simply floated there, looking terrified. Many wore malevolent looks or had strange appendages she couldn’t understand. There were Youma of every type she had ever seen, and hundreds more. 

“FACE YOUR DESTRUCTION SERENITY!” Queen Beryl spat, pointing her scepter at the Princess and Prince. “KILL HER!” she screamed. 

The dome held, even as hundreds of Youma slammed their bodies against it repeatedly. Some disappeared, only to reappear inside the dome, through portals similar to what the dark generals had once used. 

::Fight!:: she sent the word mentally through the Soul-Link, though they wouldn’t truly hear the word, more the image it portrayed in Setsuna’s own mind, of battle. 

Pluto raised her scythe high as she spun into an attack on a Youma made from what appeared to be ice, though it could have been some sort of crystal. The creature screamed as the blade of time sliced through it like a warm knife through butter. Before the blade had cleared the body, the Youma began to disintegrate. Pluto completed her turn and faced another. 

She wasn’t about to fail now. Since the day she had been a toddler found wandering in the park covered in blood, Setsuna had not known who her family was, or even if they were alive. But now she had a family in the other Senshi, the Shitennou, and the Hogosha, and she would defend each and every one of them with her life if needed. She had her soulmate, and hope for the future. She would not lose it all again.

* * *

_ ***Hotaru*** _

Sailor Saturn was more tired than she had ever been. The battle had been raging for a what felt like hours, but was probably only minutes. She could see Blue Moon Knight from the corner of her eye. He and the others in the center circle were holding Beryl with some sort of rope made of light. She wasn’t even sure how they had done it, as she had been battling a Youma made from fire at the time, but as she panted, hands on her knees while perching at the edge of the building, Saturn realized the woman had stopped screaming entirely and seemed to be listening. 

She wished she was closer so she could hear what was being said. Still, with multiple Youma getting ready to attack a second time, she had no time to listen anyway. Turning, she lifted the glaive just in time to stop a sword from piercing her side. 

“Where did all these Youma come from?” she muttered in frustration. Another Youma was ready to fight. The flow of magic through Hotaru and her crystal hadn’t decreased, and it was wearing her out. Something had to give, and soon, or they would be overrun. There were still hundreds of Youma on the other side of the dome, while only several dozen roamed inside, but it was already too much. They had to be sure no others got through. 

“Well, what do we have here?” 

Saturn spun around, shocked, to face the Youma that had snuck up on her. She lifted her glaive in a fluid motion, ready to strike at its heart, only to find it had moved, and was behind her again. 

“What sin shall I give you, little girl? Hmm? What sin will lead you to your death? Should it be sloth? Greed? Gluttony?” 

Hotaru stepped back, nervous. She wasn’t sure what the Youma was talking about, but there was something wrong with it. Something that felt like oil over water. Greasy. She didn’t like it and wanted nothing to do with the Youma. 

“Ah, pride,” it said. “We are in a battle after all. I shall fill you with pride and watch you destroy your friends, and then yourself.” 

“No!” Hotaru shouted, holding the glaive across her chest, scant protection though it was. 

The monsterish shadow laughed, sounding like dry leaves rustling in the wind. He raised his hand and threw something at Hotaru that was light blue in color. She struck at it with the glaive, knocking it aside, and leapt up and away from the creature, hoping to escape whatever it had planned. 

“Where are you going my pet?” the Youma called after her. 

Saturn had leapt to the top of the air conditioning vent and turned to attack, when she noticed a streak of blue light sweeping across the sky right at her. Except, it went past her cheek in a warm rush and she heard the sound of a scream behind her. Turning again, she watched in awe as the creature made of shadow disintegrated. 

A feeling of absolute relief washed through Hotaru, but it wasn’t her own. She could still feel the remnants of Blue Moon’s magic surrounding her. It had been his shot that killed the creature, and it was his relief she was feeling. The soul link was a strange thing she didn’t fully understand, but as Hotaru leapt back to her position, she was grateful Mamoru and Usagi had insisted on it. 

Looking across the city, Hotaru could see the tall building already under construction. Her father’s new school would be there. She knew she couldn’t go back and the thought of it pierced her like a blade, but her father would know instantly that something was different about her, and whatever was driving him mad would send him after her. She couldn’t risk it. She had already lost her mother because of one of his experiments. She didn’t want to lose him too. 

A wave of love washed over Hotaru. She felt like she belonged, and for the moment, that was enough. She had more Youma to fight. This time she wouldn’t let herself be taken off guard. She kept a wary eye around her and made sure nothing was close. 

Sailor Jupiter looked like she was fighting something sticky and gross, like chewed bubble gum or maybe taffy. It was disgusting, and it seemed to be getting the upper hand. She saw Mercury throw what looked like a pike made from an icicle, and watched the creature turn from a bright pink to a dim blue in seconds. Throwing an attack of her own, Saturn watched the creature shatter into dust before she turned to glance at the Prince and Princess, still standing perfectly still before Beryl. 

“Please let us win,” she whispered. 

* * *

_ ***Mamoru*** _

When queen Beryl had appeared, Endymion and Serenity had been unsurprised, and sure of what they would face. She wasn’t nearly as powerful as they were together, and they were being filled with the magic of all the others. Even as Beryl spat her hateful words at Serenity, he was confident that they would win. 

The Shitennou, with Haruka, Haruki, and Shingo helping, were keeping the queen from actually attacking through the use of a magical… well, it looked like a lasso, that Kunzite had pulled from his subspace pocket. Endymion was sure Minako would be yelling at the man for copying her weapon, but at the moment he could only be grateful as the force of Beryl’s hate had made her stronger. She had almost broken through the barrier.

Endymion clung to Serenity as they were buffeted and battered by what felt like a storm of magic and energy. Part of him wondered if they would be swept away instead of defeating Metalia. He could feel the slimy miasma of her presence the longer Beryl remained, though now she looked confused instead of angry. 

“Beryl,” Serenity spoke, her voice both a whisper and a shout, to the trapped queen in her bonds. “Please listen to me. I can save you. I can heal you and give you back your life.” 

“Lies!” Beryl screamed. “You only tell me what I want to hear. It’s all your fault. You took him away!” 

“Beryl, I didn’t take anyone away. Endymion was always my soulmate.” 

“Did he know?” 

Endymion was confused for a long moment. He thought Beryl was asking if he had known he was Serenity’s soulmate, but that made no sense. Of course he had known. He had told her as much at least once. Then he saw the tear streaking down Serenity’s cheek and he realized who Beryl meant. Her father. 

“He knew Beryl. He was there when the Oracle of Earth spoke.” 

Beryl was silent for a long moment. Endymion wasn’t sure what she was thinking, but there was fierce anger coming off the queen in waves. For a moment she almost seemed healthy. Then the shadows crept over her face, hollowing her cheeks again and she slumped. 

“I can save you.” 

Beryl didn’t look up. She didn’t move or try to fight. 

Endymion heard the rushing sound of wind and looked up to find the blackest, deepest, thickest shadow he had ever seen over the skies of Japan. Insane laughter filled the skies and a hand made of shadow and smoke raced toward where he and Serenity stood. 

It was time. 

Endymion didn’t blink as the Crystals came to wakefulness. While they had no thoughts he could understand, he knew they somehow understood the need. Metalia had to be locked back into her prison, or utterly destroyed. A blast of gold and silver light lit the sky, making Metalia shrink back for a moment before pressing closer and closer to the light. 

“Let me go,” Beryl said, struggling against the ropes that held her. “You can’t destroy her on your own. Let me go.” 

“I’m sorry Beryl,” Serenity whispered, though her words seemed to span the distance. Beryl glared up at the sky. “This time I’m going to save you,” Serenity added. “I’m going to save us all.” 

“You can’t!” Beryl shouted. She reached up around the rope and took her necklace in her hand. “This is linking her to me. She can’t die while I wear it.” Then she snatched the necklace off her neck and let the crystalline beads fall to the earth below. Metalia’s great fist speared towards the queen, who was weeping openly now. “Save my brother. Save Agate,” she whispered as Metalia’s hand hit her, knocking her from the sky. Her scream echoed from the buildings and bounced back at them, a haunting reminder of her last act. 

“YOUR DEATH HAS ARRIVED,” Metalia’s voice was a booming wave of sound that knocked them backward. It was far louder than Beryl had been at the beginning, and that had hurt his ears. Metalia’s gaze turned toward the ocean and she waved her hand at it. The water began to boil. Across the planet a wave of devastation flew until everything that wasn’t in the dome below them had been destroyed. 

Serenity let out a scream of pure anguish. Endymion nearly passed out. Linked to the planet itself, he could feel plants, animals, and people dying. He was brought to his knees. 

“YOU CANNOT DESTROY ME ANY MORE THAN YOUR FOOL MOTHER COULD,” Metalia laughed. “I am the most powerful being ever to exist and I will have my revenge.” 

Serenity was shaking. He could feel her body sway with exhaustion. She was tired and overwhelmed. But she stood tall and lifted the Moon Staff over her head. Endymion stood, put one arm around her waist, and lifted his own scepter, fitted now with the Golden Crystal. As the two Crystals combined their energy, he felt more pouring in from every direction. 

"Super Nova!"

"Mercury Power!"

"Venus Power!"

"Moon Power!"

"Blue Moon Power!" 

"Earth Power!" 

"North!"

"South!"

"East!"

"West!"

"Mars Power!"

"Jupiter Power!"

"Saturn Power!"

"Uranus Power!"

"Neptune Power!"

"Pluto Power!"

The power rose and rose until it was a swirling vortex edging closer and closer to Metalia. When Serenity whispered “planetary attack,” it moved all at once, capturing the ancient spirit, who spit and screamed and pushed back against it, nearly breaking their hold. Soon the creature began to scream in earnest however, and to shrink in on herself. Then she shriveled into a hideous puff of noxious smoke before disappearing entirely. All that remained were shattered pieces of black Crystal, which fell to the earth below. 

Serenity sagged against Endymion, nearly toppling him, but he reached for the long metal rod at the top of the tower and steadied them both against it. 

“Is it over?” Sailor Moon asked, in her warrior form once more. 

He realized his own form had changed with the passing of the threat. “I think it is,” he said, “but I don’t think we can take that for granted. We need those pieces of Crystal. We have to get all of them and put them somewhere no one can get to them.” 

“We should separate the pieces,” Sailor Moon added. “The histories say she can take on form again if someone feeds her their life energy. We can’t let that happen. And I need to find Beryl’s Crystal. I have to save her brother, and give it to him.” 

“We will find it,” Tuxedo Kamen promised, kissing her forehead. “Then I need to get you home before your parents both have coronaries. It’s well past ten by now. It has to be.” 

Sailor Moon giggled and held up her communicator, which was hidden by the face of an ordinary looking watch. It wasn’t even eight yet. The battle that had seemed to last weeks had only lasted about fifteen minutes. 

A gasp brought his attention back to Usagi. “What’s wrong?” She was staring out past the dome they had put over the city. 

“She destroyed it all,” Moon whispered sadly. “She killed everything and stole the energy.” 

“We can fix it,” Tuxedo Kamen reminded her. “But that we should do from the ground.” He swayed slightly as he helped her climb down. 

Before they had reached the halfway point the others were surrounding them. Setsuna and Haruki held pieces of the black crystal Metalia had carried. How it had become so warped, he would never understand, but he put that aside as Usagi began searching the ground the moment they reached it. 

“I have to save her,” she whispered. 

With more than a dozen people searching, they found the Beryl Crystal in only a few minutes. He watched in awe as his soulmate reached out and picked up the gem, cradling it protectively. 

Mamoru and Usagi, now untransformed, settled in the grass at the park near Usagi’s house a few minutes later. Mamoru rested both his hands, palms down, in the soft grass and watched as she copied his pose. Closing his eyes, Mamoru let the power of the earth itself rise up inside him and then waited for the silvery magic of the moon to surround it. She would bring everyone back to life, and he would heal them, and the planet. 

“We’re here,” Minako reminded them. She was kneeling behind Usagi and put one hand on her shoulder. “Take what you need,” she added. 

Mamoru and Usagi worked together for the next several minutes, using the power of the Creation Crystals to heal every rock, tree, bird, beast, and person. Soon insects and frogs were making their customary noises all over the world and Mamoru felt too tired to move as he let the magic go again. 

“I need a nap,” he muttered, leaning forward until his head rested on Usagi’s shoulder, as she too had leaned in. They were both practically folded in half, almost asleep sitting up. 

“Let’s get them home,” Haruki suggested. 

* * *

_ ***Usagi*** _

Held in the palm of Tsukino Usagi’s hands was the soul and magic of a person. A real person, who’d had a family, and could have been saved but for Metalia’s cruelty. She looked down at the Beryl stone and prayed for a way to save the girl Beryl had once been. She had to believe there was a way. 

“Until then,” she promised the stone, “I will make sure you are somewhere safe. I will never let you be hurt by that monster again.” 

As gently as she could, Usagi slipped the stone into the wire cage of the amulet she now wore. Thankfully Michiru had it, as Usagi was afraid she couldn’t leave the stone undefended. Until Beryl was reborn she needed a protector. And that would be Usagi, since there was no one else. Where Beryl’s brother Agate was, Usagi didn’t know, but until she found him, she would not entrust Beryl to another soul. It was the least she could do to be the keeper, since they had been friends in another life. 

After a quick nap, and a massive dinner, Usagi was feeling much like her old self. Still, as she sat on her bed pondering the life of a kind girl who had been turned into a monster, she wondered what else fate had in store for herself and her friends. With Metalia destroyed, the earth safe, and her soulmate only a phone call away, Usagi thought maybe it was time to have a normal life. But first she had to find Agate and heal him. 

“What are you thinking about?” Mamoru asked, slipping over the railing and climbing through her bedroom window. 

“Beryl’s brother Agate,” Usagi said. “I wonder where he is, and what he is doing. What task could Metalia have sent him and the others on? Why wasn’t he there?” 

“I don’t know Usako,” Mamoru whispered, settling next to her on the bed. “Whatever it is, we will find him, and grant her last wish. We will save her brother.” 

It took a moment for Usagi to clear her throat after hearing his pet name for her again. “Hai,” Usagi agreed. “We will save them all.” She knew there were others, though Kunzite didn’t know where they had gone. 

“Now, I was hoping you and I could go on a date tomorrow,” Mamoru said, grinning at her. “Something involving loud music, fun rides, and a water slide. What do you think?” 

“You? At an amusement park?” Usagi pretended to be more shocked than she felt. “This I’ve got to see.” 

Mamoru tickled her in revenge, making her check the door to be sure no one was coming. “Shh,” she admonished when she returned to the bed. “Do you want my father to murder you?” 

“Not particularly,” Mamoru admitted. “I do need to talk to him soon. I have a question I need to ask.” 

“It’s too soon Mamo-chan,” Usagi pleaded. “I don’t want to lose you.” 

“Mamo-chan?” Mamoru mused. Then he nodded. “I like it. As for your father, let me deal with that. He’ll say yes. I just know it.” 

Usagi snorted. He obviously knew nothing of her father. She would take one look at Mamoru and grab his katana. It wouldn’t matter that he was smart and kind, or even that he had money. He was a boy, and in her father’s mind, that was enough to be a threat. 

“I really can’t wait to see the red moon,” Mamoru said, wisely changing the subject. “It if it was powerful enough to bring us together even when I was under Metalia’s influence, what can it do to us now?” 

“I don’t know,” Usagi admitted. “I just don’t know.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Storyline Notes:   
> In my Silver Millennium stories I focus on an early friendship between Serenity and Beryl. That friendship is possible because Beryl's father is an ambassador from earth to the moon and takes his family there to live with him. He has big plans, and wants as much power as he can get. In order to gain power he thinks to have his daughter marry Endymion, even knowing Serenity and Endymion are soulmates and have a Bond. When Beryl fails to gain Endymion's attention, her father beats her, then locks her in a dungeon for months. It is in this dungeon that Metalia gets her hold over Beryl, who would do anything to escape. She eventually kills most of her own family, sparing only her brother Agate, who had tried to protect her even though he was younger than she was. Serenity cannot let go of the memories she has of Beryl helping her escape from the clutches of a bully, of taking comportment classes together, and of sharing secrets as little girls. She tries her best to save Beryl in many of my stories, with varying degrees of success. 
> 
> Character Notes: I had Shadar in this chapter. He is one of my created Youma. I originally got the idea from my story about the amanojaku, who make people unable to stop themselves from trying to gain their worst wishes, harming others in the process. The Shitennou and Senshi had protection against them, because they are soulmates, but that isn't true for Shadar. He can infect even soulmates, and needs no food, water, or sleep. Therefore he is the perfect Youma. The most feared of all, because he can also infect other Youma, and even the god-king Hachiman, who is enslaved by Beryl.   
> Also, there are several other dark generals I've created who do not appear in this story, including Agate, who is Beryl's brother.


	6. Epilogue: Blush Red

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a final goodbye from some observers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this last part took so long. My power was going in an out there for a few hours. 
> 
> The artist for this is Final Key (not sure if that is how it is written in AO3)

**Under the Red Moon**   
_ Sailor Senshi Mini Bang 2020 _   
**Epilogue** **  
** **Blush Red**

* * *

_ ***High Queen Serenity*** _

The moon was red-hued as she stepped across the surface and peered at the planet that seemed like a marble on the horizon. She had waited and watched, silent and alone, for many long years for a perfect series of events. All her efforts had been focused on the battle her daughter had just faced a few nights before, and the long awaited fulfillment of the ancient prophecies. 

“My Queen,” a soft voice came from her left and Queen Serenity turned to look at the specter of her husband and Soulmate, Pontus, who she had lost several years before Metalia turned Beryl to her will. 

A cry of delight escaped as she ran for him, reunited at the last. “Pontus, oh Pontus, how I’ve missed you!” she wept. 

“I’m here,” he whispered, his ghostly fingers trailing down her neck. 

Serenity clung to him at the last, when her spirit was finally free to join the others she loved so much. She, like King Endymion, had stayed behind, waiting for this day, but now they would both be free to move on to the next life, which was finally possible with the curse of Metalia broken. 

His voice was hardly more than a whisper as he said, “Let’s go home.” 

As a parting gift, Serenity swept out her arm and let the light of her own soul fly across the heavens, waving goodbye to the young ones she had watched, and loved, for so long. Then she turned and followed Pontus into the next realm. 

For the first time in over a hundred-thousand years the moon in the sky was empty and devoid of life. The trapped spirit of the long forgotten Queen was free, reunited with her love, and ensured that she would soon be reborn in a world with a much brighter future. 

* * *

_ ***High King Endymion*** _

Many long years had passed. Years when a silent king roamed the earth, his spirit unable to pass into the next life until the prophecy was fulfilled. Tonight, with the red moon high in the sky, King Endymion walked the beaches of Tokyo, his eyes drawn to the crowd of youngsters laughing and splashing one another on the beach. 

In particular, Endymion, the High King of earth, and not the first to bear the name, watched the young man who was the reincarnation of his beloved son. He had been with him, in spirit, through all the trials and tribulations of his life, and knew the pain resting in the heart he tried to hide. His young son had faced such horrible loss. 

Looking at young Mamoru, and what a fitting name that was, one couldn’t tell he had been unhappy most of his days. Mamoru now had his arm around the waist of Usagi, Serenity’s reincarnation, who was giggling as she tried to stuff seaweed into his pockets. The look of love and adoration on her face, and the blissful happiness on his spoke all the words that the King had wished to hear. 

Soon he would be moving to the next life, and he would be ready, knowing that they were safe, happy, and together. As soulmates should be. He had lived no more than a half life since his wife had died, taking their unborn daughter with her. That day was the worst of his life, even more than the end of all things.  Still, his daughter had been reborn as well, and was currently throwing sand at a boy who stared at her adoringly. And his wife would soon be in his arms. How long would it take for the moon to reach it’s fullness in the night sky? He could no longer wait to see his other half. 

“Endymion, I’ve come.” 

Spinning on his heel, Endymion wept as he caught his first sight of Demeter in well over a thousand years. “Wife,” he managed to choke out, and then she was running for him and in his arms and everything was right with the world again. "Oh Demeter!" 

"I've missed you," she breathed onto his cheek, and though she was nothing more than a ghost, as he was, he felt the warmth of her breath and the feel of her hand in his. "You can come home with me." 

"Yes, my love," Endymion whispered, lost in her eyes. "One more gift," he said, bending to touch his hand to the grass along the edge of the beach. There a tiny sprout lifted up from the ground, spearing up towards the bright red moon. The tree would grow healthy and strong, unharmed by wind or tide, and would be a beacon of light and hope to the young future rulers of the solar system. 

Then Endymion wrapped his arm around Demeter and kissed her soft cheek.  His spirit passed on into the Cauldron without another look back. She was with him, and that was all that mattered now. 

* * *

_ ***Luna*** _

Luna felt a sudden shiver race down her spine. Looking up, she could see the moon, high in the sky, at it’s fullest. She knew that in that moment the Queen had moved on. A tear formed in her eye. She could not weep fully in her current form, but she began to sing a melody without words. She remembered it well, for she had heard it once before, when king Pontus had passed. It was the song of Serenity and Pontus’ Soul-Bond, and it would go on forever. 

“Are you alright?” Artemis asked. He nudged against her and followed her gaze to the sky. “We knew they would finally be free,” he said softly. “They will see their soulmates again.” 

Luna swallowed and turned to look at him. “Then I’m happy. Tonight love has won. Love and hope have the victory. But what will tomorrow bring? Metalia was evil, true, but her presence kept other monsters at bay. What will come after her?”

“I don’t know,” Artemis said. “Let the kids have tonight. They’ve earned it.” 

Luna chuckled. Not only had they all agreed to tell their parents everything, but the young warriors had come to them earlier in the day and said they wanted to continue training, just in case. They were certainly entitled one night when they could just be teenagers in love. But if they didn’t behave themselves she and Artemis would kick their butts.

“I can’t wait to see Usagi when she gets back,” Luna admitted. “She’s been dreaming of Mamoru for so long, without much hope until recently. She needs to just be a girl for a night.” 

“I was thinking,” Artemis said, and Luna almost snorted when she noticed he was blushing, “the kids aren’t the only ones who deserve a night of fun. I thought we might go on a date of our own.” 

Surprised and pleased, Luna agreed. Taking one last glance at the sky, and a moment to say goodbye to a woman she had truly loved and respected, Luna hopped down off the railing and followed Artemis into the house. Usagi’s bedroom was a mess, but for once Luna didn’t think about scolding her little blonde charge. She was too busy wondering where Artemis wanted to go for their date.

* * *

_ ***SailorSilverLadybug*** _

Far away, in a land vastly different from Tokyo, a middle-aged woman set down her cup of hot chocolate and leaned back in her chair. The work was done, the story told, and her characters were safely on precious dates that would begin a life of love and joy for each of them. She pondered the young heroes and all the things that would come for them in the days that followed. She was overjoyed to return Minako's parents to her, and to laugh when she wrote all about how Ikuko and Kenji already knew their children's big secret. 

Life was good for her characters. Not so much for those who weren't in the pages of her story. The cold air raced by the house, making a whistling sound through the trees. It was quiet outside. Many people were staying home, unable to heal the way heroes in the stories did. She wished she could write happy endings for everyone, but she knew that wasn't possible. 

Instead, she looked out the window. Taped near the top, on computer paper she had grabbed hastily, was a poorly-drawn figure of Sailor Moon, her hair slightly lopsided and her arms fading into nothing. It wasn't a good likeness of her favorite young heroine, but it still made her smile as much as it had the day the inspiration had hit her. For our middle-aged woman had been writing one afternoon, months before, when she had remembered an often forgotten detail about Sailor Moon's first transformation. She had a mask. 

At the time, she had giggled, and raced to grab her colored pens and pencils. She had scribbled out the drawing in less than an hour, while her husband had rolled his eyes at her silly tongue poking out of her mouth while he played tug-of-war with one of the dogs. But our middle-aged woman had been inspired, and when she held up that drawing to show her husband, he had smiled and nodded in approval and asked that she hang it in the window where everyone could see. 

The drawing wasn't like the others she had made of Sailor Moon over time. In this drawing, Sailor Moon was wearing a pretty face mask over her mouth and nose, and over her head were the words, "Be a Hero. Wear a Mask." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Character Notes:  
> High Queen Serenity the 8th, of the Moon, Silver Millennium - I don't want to give too much away, but she had a Soul-Bond with Pontus, who was of the sea. When she lost him, she threw herself into running the solar system.  
> High King Endymion - Again, don't want to share too much as it would spoil other stories (including chapters that haven't come out yet) I will just say that he was the father of Prince Endymion, married to and Soul-Bonded to Demeter, who was of the earth, and that after her death he was not the same.

**Author's Note:**

> Storyline Notes:  
> I always prefer the Manga timeline and character attitudes with Anime stories added in and my own unique twist on the characters background and motivations. In this story, Mamoru was taken as he was in the Manga(Crystal) version. The relationship between the Shitennou was mostly manga, with my own twist thrown in (Zo and Jed are brothers). Kunzite and Zoicite (yes, I do know I spell it wrong) were never lovers. Zoicite's hatred of Usagi comes from thinking she killed Nephrite, or that he was killed because of her. He also never falls for Naru (sorry to those of you who ship that couple, but she has a different destiny in my stories), and Usagi and Naru tend to remain close in my stories, as she usually discovers the secret early on. Motoki also generally figures out Mamoru's secret and the pair are best friends. 
> 
> If I use any of my own devises in the story, I will explain them at the end of that chapter. You can check before you read, but be prepared for spoilers, or at least hints of what may come. 
> 
> Character Notes:  
> Usagi: Usagi has a cousin named Haruki. He and her brother are both powerful warriors too. She had a little sister, who passed away, but she doesn't like to think about her because it hurts too much. MANGA VERSION 98%  
> Mamoru: MANGA VERSION 100%. Tends to be extremely overprotective, and is a little less reserved with Usagi, though still remains a bit uncomfortable with people he isn’t friends with.  
> Minako: Minako's parents are affected by a Youma named Shadar, who gives them the sin/gift of greed, warping them. They were on their way to England for a short trip at the time and did not return to Tokyo with Minako and Artemis.  
> Kunzite: Kunzite lost his family to Agate (Beryl's brother) when they attempted to take him as a child. He survived, and grew up in an orphanage where he met the others, including Mamoru. Tends to be a bit bossy/overprotective.
> 
> More character notes will be added as the characters are introduced.


End file.
